Single consultant proposed for BRTS, Jaipur Metro

JAIPUR: The project consultant for Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), PDCOR might soon be called for assistance in the Jaipur Metro project. The proposal was made at a high-level meeting on Thursday to resolve issues related to overlapping of BRTS and Metro. The PDCOR reportedly demanded an additional amount for preparing an integrated report for the two projects earlier.
"The detailed project report for the Jaipur metro has to be reframed, it is advisable to choose the same consultant for both the projects," said a senior JDA official."A final decision in this regard will, however, have to be taken by the urban development department as there are other constraints as well," he added.
The meeting was held as a follow-up of the previous announcements made by the urban development ministry to simultaneously develop both the projects. Apart from the direct intersection of Metro and BRTS routes, the two projects are also interrelated to form a comprehensive public transportation model.
"Proposed Metro route has undergone major changes many times in the past few months, accordingly the BRTS routes need to be changed. Thus the work can be best performed under a single agency," said another JDA official.
As the city awaits the two mega public transport projects, the urban development department is still in doldrums over the future routes of the projects. Jaipur metro is still in conceptual stages and after much delay the BRTS is expected to be officially operational by the end of this month.
The new proposals from the state urban ministry for BRTS are yet to get clearance from the Centre. "The new proposals will have to be included in the BRTS project report and sent for sanction of the Central government as the project is funded under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission," said a senior engineer with JDA.
In the recent announcements the urban development ministry has proposed to develop a triple level flyover, more elevated roads for the BRTS while the work on Durgapura flyover has been put on hold. "If the Central ministry refuses the new plans, BRTS will have to run in mixed traffic on these routes," he added.
Meanwhile, the operating agency for Jaipur City Transport Services Limited (JCTSL) has already introduced more than a 100 new buses on Jaipur routes on trial basis. The movement of these buses on the dedicated corridors will also be soon initiated.