Schoolkids at risk on BRT stretch

If you live on the BRT system corridor, you have to be extra careful and punctual in dropping or picking your child, reports Atul Mathur.

If you live on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system corridor, you have to be extra careful and punctual in dropping or picking your child from the schoolbus-stop every day. Any delay could be risky for your child.

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From May 1, when the corridor is made operational, your child’s schoolbus won’t be allowed to stop at your colony gate.

With one single lane for all kind of buses, the schoolbuses will stop only at the designated bus bays constructed near each traffic intersection. No bus will be allowed to stop between two stops — 500 to 800 metres apart.

Also, the schoolbus won’t be allowed to wait an extra second.

“The freedom to stop anywhere will not be available to buses on this corridor,” said Manoj Aggarwal, head, transport, Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System.

Over 250 schools, mostly in south Delhi, have over 300 buses plying on BRT corridor. Even if it is presumed that 10 schoolchildren get off at one stop, more than 3,000 of them living in colonies like Panchsheel Enclave, Greater Kailash-I, Sadiq Nagar, Sheikh Sarai Phase II and Pushpa Vihar will be affected.

Since no parking will be allowed on the lanes, parents will not have the facility to drive the extra distance to drop or pick their wards.

“This is going to make things difficult especially for children of working parents. Delhi being city of crimes, some thing will have to be done to ensure that children reach their homes safely from the bus stops,” said Shyama Chona, principal Delhi Public School, RK Puram.