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Journalism of Courage
With the agency appointed to study the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) on Nagar Road suggesting its removal, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has begun the removal of BRTS stretch with immediate effect and increased the carriage width of the road to ease the traffic congestion.
The PMC had appointed Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics to study the BRTS on Nagar road as there was a demand for its removal from local residents and politicians while challenged by few politicians. “The Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics have submitted their report to PMC. It has suggested removal of BRTS infrastructure on the stretch from Parnakuti, Yerawada to Phoenix Mall and Viman Nagar as it was unused due to ongoing Metro work and leading to frequent accidents. The local police and citizens’ group as well as politicians had urged the civic body to remove it. The damaged railings and infrastructure in dangerous condition are being removed on the stretch,” said additional municipal commissioner Vikas Dhakane.
The PMC started the BRTS on a 7.5-km stretch of the Nagar Road in 2016, but part of it was unused over the past three years due to work on the elevated Metro project with pillars in the middle of the road. The work also led to three of the ten bus stops on the BRTS lane being removed. The Metro work is now nearing completion.
Earlier, the PMC had removed a short stretch of the BRTS lane on Nagar Road “on a trial basis” and it led to a face-off between supporters and detractors of the initiative, with political voices raising the decibel level on both sides of the divide.
“Finally, PMC has started removing the BRT route on Nagar Road. Many a times I had demanded the civic body to remove BRT considering the accidents, traffic jams and loss of lives caused by BRT on Nagar Road. Local citizens and those travelling on the Nagar road were suffering from the traffic caused by BRT. I had raised my voice in the legislature Assembly for the removal of BRT on Nagar Road. By removing BRT, it will help us avoid accidents which were taking place and relief from long traffic congestion,” said NCP legislator Sunil Tingre, representing the area in the Assembly.
NCP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan had opposed the plan of scrapping the BRTS lane. She had written to the PMC that it was wrong to remove the BRTS as it would not solve the traffic issue and increase more private vehicles. The PMS should instead strengthen the public transport system, she had said.
