Experts in favour of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) want to convince political leaders heading government agencies to back the project.
On Thursday, transport experts Sudhir Badami, Ashok Datar, environmentalist Rishi Aggrawal and Madhav Pai who has worked in developing
world’s first BRTS in Bogota in South America, met BEST chairman and Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Dilip Patel.
“We will meet people who represent political parties in government agencies and can take a decision on the future of this project,” said Aggrawal.
The experts believe that Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), responsible for implementing the project hasn’t done enough to promote it.
“Politicians would be able to understand the benefits of BRTS if those having technical knowledge show them its benefits,” said Datar. “MMRDA is simply running after big-ticket projects like metro rail and monorail.”
At a cost of Rs 25 crore per km, the BRTS will have a carrying capacity of 20,000 passengers an hour.
Patel has promised to get the group an appointment with Mayor, Shraddha Jadhav, who is from the Shiv Sena, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Standing Committee members and the ‘Group of Leaders’, a body of leaders from different political parties. The experts are also keen to make a presentation to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan.
The BRTS, for dedicated bus lanes, was planned on a trial basis on the highways between Thane-Sion and Dahisar-Bandra.