The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) demolished the BRTS (bus rapid transit system) route on Ahmednagar Road in an operation that began Wednesday late evening and continued throughout the night the next day.
Vikas Dhakane, additional municipal commissioner, said, “The civic body took the decision based on increasing demand and traffic congestion, and the study carried out by the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics covering the route.”
The civic body had earlier razed the BRTS route on Solapur Road.
Though Pune was the first city in the country to launch BRTS, it failed to take off as per expectation due to various reasons, including unsafe access to bus stations, pedestrian crossings and vehicle users using the dedicated lane for lack of enforcement. The mega plan also did not find favour among the political leaders.
After a recent accident involving a gas tanker on Ahmednagar Road forced authorities to divert traffic, PMC decided to remove the BRTS stretch.
Siddharth Dhende, former deputy mayor, said, “BRTS was useful for citizens using buses. Removing the routes will promote private vehicles. The project was executed with the help from central and state governments, but PMC solely took the decision to demolish it. The chief minister and the deputy chief ministers should speak on the issue.”
{{/usCountry}}Siddharth Dhende, former deputy mayor, said, “BRTS was useful for citizens using buses. Removing the routes will promote private vehicles. The project was executed with the help from central and state governments, but PMC solely took the decision to demolish it. The chief minister and the deputy chief ministers should speak on the issue.”
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, PMC is yet to start work on the BRTS routes planned two years ago on Ganeshkhind Road and Sinhagad Road.