ITDP's roadmap to cool traffic

A pre-feasibility study on Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) for Hyderabad conducted by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), a non-government organisation, with the financial support from USAID, has observed that any new mode of public transport to be added will not be effective enough in controlling the traffic problem unless it is accompanied by restraining private vehicle use and improving conditions for cycling and walking.

ITDP, which submitted its report to the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation last week, has recommended a combination of these two policies and BRT.

It may be recalled that the state government has been weighing several options such as elevated metro, elevated monorail and bus rapid transit to solve traffic congestion.

Releasing the study findings to the media, Nalin Sinha, ITDP's India programme director, said, "The institute has recommended that Hyderabad should seriously consider the implementation of Bus Rapid Transit, along with the improvements in pedestrian and other non-motorised travel conditions, and tightened parking regulation and enforcement."

ITDP estimates that with an outlay of Rs 5,000 crore, Hyderabad could either build 37 km of metro rail or 31 km of monorail, or around 300 km or more of BRT.

It suggested that the government should select a mass transit system which can provide a service for around 20,000 passengers per hour/per direction, maintain operating speed of at least 25 kmph, and minimise the amount of capital and operating subsidies and government financial risk exposure.

The NGO has suggested four methods of capturing the majority of existing and future transit demand in corridor 1 between Dilsukhnagar and Kukatpally.