Delayed and limping, BRTS struggles to find feet in Pimpri-Chinchwad

If PCMC’s BRTS cell officials are to be believed, both the services are doing “very well”. BRTS cell head Vijay Bhojne told The Indian Express Wednesday that the passenger count had increased by 17,000 on both the routes. “Nearly 80,000 passengers daily use more than 150 buses that ply on the routes. Over 1300 trips are made,” he said.

However, there is no sign of BRTS starting on the two other routes, Nigdi-Dapodi and Kalewadi-Dehu Alandi, in the immediate future. Officials, however, said BRTS on the Nigdi-Dapodi route on the Pune-Mumbai highway would start by March or April.Major work on the route had been completed two years ago. However, PCMC took its time to complete the work in some areas and angered residents and activists. Advocate Sushil Mancharkar who has been opposing BRTS on the Pune-Mumbai highway said,”PCMC has caused

Major work on the route had been completed two years ago. However, PCMC took its time to complete the work in some areas and angered residents and activists. Advocate Sushil Mancharkar who has been opposing BRTS on the Pune-Mumbai highway said,”PCMC has caused unnecessary nightmare for commuters by setting up the BRTS route and then doing nothing. In fact, there was no need for BRTS on the highway.”

The work on the Kalewadi-Dehu Alandi route has been delayed because of the limping Empire flyover work at Chinchwad. “The contractor of the flyover has gone bankrupt,” Bhojne said.

Municipal Commissioner Rajeev Jadhav said the civic administration was making all efforts to push work on both the routes. “Some difficulties have been cropping up from time to time, causing delay. As of now, we are gearing for the launch of the third route in two months,” he said.