Nightmare on dream corridor

Driving on the Bus Rapid Transit corridor for the first time after lane segregation was put into place was one nightmarish experience for me. Amitabh Shukla reports.

Driving on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor for the first time after lane segregation was put into place was one nightmarish experience for me.

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As a journalist, my task was to drive down the stretch and write about my experience. I continued but hardly moved.

I drove till the Moolchand flyover from ITO without any problem and soon descended from the Andrewsganj flyover on to the BRT corridor at 12.58 pm, what is called “off-peak” hours. I was stuck before the crossing and red light at the G.K.– Siri Fort Road intersection. Twenty-five minutes later and after crossing the intersection, there was still no end to the jam.

In the afternoon heat, tempers ran high. Fellow drivers were already cursing those responsible for creating the mess. Between Moolchand and Chiragh Dilli, I hardly managed to put the second gear. Three cars broke down on this small stretch due to overheating. Worried, I switched off the AC to prevent my car from overheating.

Meanwhile, the bus lane was practically empty. The few buses that I spotted were scantily populated and were rushing to their depots at break neck speed.

I managed to cross the Chiragh Dilli Flyover after 55 minutes. It took me another ten minutes to cross the Press Enclave intersection after which it was normal traffic till Ambedkar Nagar.

While returning, I too switched to the the lane meant the cycles.