BRTS: Basic infra yet to be completed

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 25

Though the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) was inaugurated in November 2016, its basic infrastructure is yet to be completed.

A bus stand and a workshop for any mass transport service are highly vital for timely maintenance of fleet of buses.

However, the bus stand and the workshop for the buses of BRTS are still under construction. Situated on the Verka bypass, a bus shelter and a workshop are being raised on a chunk of six acres with investment in crores. The office building was raised but its boundary wall is yet to be finished.

President of the Punjab Sudhar Sabha, an NGO, Balram Kumar Sharma said: “With a total length of 30.73 km in the city, the BRTS project could not resolve the traffic mess. He said the government must extend it to all roads of the city to achieve the desired results.

He said bus stops must display the time schedule of all buses and its fares must be reduced to make it economical for all people.

He said the government went all about to raise costly infrastructure like raising nearly five-km elevated corridors on the Albert road, Bhandari Bridge loop, Bhandari Bridge roundabout to Daburji bypass, Central Core Hussainpura Chowk, Celebration Mall, Kitchlu Chowk, Albert Road junction, SSSS Chowk, Crystal Chowk, Celebration Mall, NH Bypass, to the Verka Canal and the ROB at Verka.

He said it raised 2.5 metre-wide columns in the middle of these roads to operate buses.

He said it would have been better to operate the buses in phases and later raising the costly infrastructure.

PWD Executive Engineer Jasbir Singh Sodhi said: “The bus stand and workshop were in the final stage of construction.”

He said there was no such delay as the project was still under construction.

He said once the construction was completed, the bus shelter would be handed over to the Punjab Bus Metro Society.