Allow cars and autos on BRT bus lane: High court

The Delhi high court on Thursday gave its green signal for cars and autorickshaws to ply on the bus lane of the otherwise congested and accident-prone bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor between Ambedkar Nagar and Moolchand in south Delhi on experimental basis for six weeks.

The Delhi high court on Thursday gave its green signal for cars and autorickshaws to ply on the bus lane of the otherwise congested and accident-prone bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor between Ambedkar Nagar and Moolchand in south Delhi on experimental basis for six weeks.

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In this period, the court wants a feasibility study by the Central Road Research Institute or National Highway Authority of India. The study, set to start in two weeks, is to ascertain if vehicles other than buses can be allowed to ply on the exclusive bus lane permanently.

The order was issued on a public interest litigation moved by NGO Nyay Bhoomi, which pointed out that the BRT was not practicable for a city which has just 23,000 buses and 73 lakh other vehicles.

On an average, 3,000 buses, 35,000 cars and 40,000 two-wheelers use the BRT every day.

A bench of acting chief justice AK Sikri and justice RS Endlaw had on Wednesday rejected the Delhi government's plea to let the Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) conduct the study.

"The BRT was introduced after a study by RITES. So, we cannot ask them to undertake a study as obviously they will justify the project," the bench said.