Hiccups temporary, comfy commute ahead: Bhopal Municipal Corporation chief

BHOPAL: Synchronised traffic light signals for smooth flow of the traffic, push button technology signals for pedestrians to cross zebra-crossing and a fleet of 225 buses, 20 AC, will make the bus rapid transport system (BRTS) a good and comfortable experience for commuters in Bhopal, claims Vishesh Garhpale, commissioner, Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC).He asserted that present problems are temporary.
The corridor will be made operational by June this year, he reiterated during a chat with the TOI.
Garhpale said, "The synchronised traffic signals will help commuters travel smoothly. If you get a green signal at one point," he explained "you will continue to get the green light throughout the corridor if you are moving at the same speed."
"This will save a lot of time." The commissioner seems to have forgotten synchronisation will work till Kamla park as the road here will narrow down in the absence of any bridge on the Upper Lake.
"Construction of a bridge over the Upper lake bridge will take at least one year to complete," he told TOI
"Censors of push button signals will help pedestrians to cross the road," he said, explaining, "The sensors would make turn lights green or red recognising the number of pedestrians waiting to cross the road."
If at any given time, number of pedestrians increases, it will turn lights green to facilitate them to cross the zebra crossing.
However, this will not disturb the synchronisation.
There will be 20 AC buses for citizens to ply on the BRTS corridor by June 2013. In all, there will be 225 buses running on the road, including AC and non-AC.
These new buses will have automated fair entry gate system, which will facilitate entry of commuters only if they carry required ticket.
In peak hours, buses will reach stop after every after two-minute interval and, in normal hours, buses will come at every 6 minutes time interval. As for concerns about rash driving BMC, the commissioner said, "To keep a check on rash driving, special software called Feed Management System is being introduced which will track a bus by recognising its GPS system."
"Further, there is a plan to create special flying squad to check rash driving, which will also be operational by June 2013," Gharpale added.