Odisha to study Ahmedabad model for city BRTS project

Though BRTS system exists in other large cities, Ahmedabad model has been accepted as the first complete BRTS in India

The Odisha government will study the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) currently in use at Ahmedabad, ahead of adopting a similar project for its capital city Bhubaneswar.

Next month, the state housing and urban development secretary, G Mathivathanan, will visit Gujarat for this purpose, according to officials.

“The secretary to Government (housing, & urban development) will participate in the seminar on the theme “Urban Design & Planning: Looking at Smarter Options” to be held on 17 October at Gandhinagar. He will also visit BRTS, Ahmedabad during the period. Request you to extend necessary facilities for his visit,” said Sisir K Ratho, in his letter to the Gujarat government.

Ahmedabad BRTS started operation in 2009. Though the BRTS system exists in other large cities of the country such as Bhopal, Indore and some part of New Delhi, Ahmedabad BRTS model has so far been accepted as the first complete BRTS in India.

The Odisha government has already roped in Ahmedabad-based Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the engineering design of system. It is the same university which had designed Ahmedabad project.

The Bhubaneswar BRTS project was conceived in 2011. In June, this year, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had requested the Centre to release the first installment of Rs 153 crore for implementation of the project, which is estimated to cost Rs 460 crore. While the Union ministry of urban development will spend Rs 367.96 crore, the state government will bear the rest.

Meanwhile, the state works department has already floated tender for road widening, civil construction and barricading of two lane dedicated roads.

The Bhubaneswar project is being planned in two phases. In the first phase, nine corridors (about 30 km) would be created along Biju Patnaik Airport-Nandankanan zoo route. The second-phase corridor (36 km) will be built between Kalpana Chhak and Kalinga Nagar. There will be two interchangeable BRTS terminals at Baramunda and Master Canteen from where commuters can take other modes of transport, said an official with knowledge of the detail plans.

The project will be operation by 2016, added the official.