Date:13/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/13/stories/2008101358500300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Apprehensions over BRTS works

Staff Reporter

Vijayawada Municipal Corporation yet to come out with precise plan

Project consultant yet to make a traffic study for the project
Four flyovers required for smooth flow of traffic, says tax payers association

— Photo: Raju V.

Roadblock?: Traffic moving across the proposed road for Bus Rapid Transit System at Satyanarayanapuram in Vijayawada.

VIJAYAWADA: The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) project that the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is implementing is causing some concern to some people, particularly those living in colonies abutting the proposed dedicated corridor for BRTS buses.

There are apprehensions that the people of these areas may have to take a circuitous path to cross the BRTS road at places like Sitannapeta, Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao Government College of Music and Dance, Satyanarayanapuram and Madhura Nagar.

The ongoing works near Satavahana College at Satyanarayanapuram, Pezzonipeta and other areas are paving way for apprehensions among the people. As the VMC proposes to construct separators for the two lanes (expressway) that will be dedicated for the BRTS buses, people fear that the BRTS buses passing through places such as Police Control Room (PCR), Poornanandampeta, Mutyalampadu and Madhura Nagar would hamper the flow of regular traffic.

The VMC so far has not come out with a precise plan for the BRTS buses covering these areas. The corporation officials have not spelt out where flyovers and foot-over-bridges would be constructed on this route. The Consulting Engineering Services (CES) India Private Limited, the consultants for the project and which prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR), has not yet come out with specific proposals for flyovers and bridges.

The CES is supposed to elucidate many important factors, such as the number of bridges, flyovers, traffic junctions and bus stops required and also make a traffic study for the project. But it has not done anything until now. The VMC served notices to the CES in this regard, officials say.

Priority

As the VMC’s first priority is to complete the G.S. Raju- Madhura Nagar road stretch of the BRTS by October 31, it has led to apprehensions among the people that the corporation would go ahead with the initial plans and construct separators for the BRTS buses.

There are four railway gates, one each at Sitannapeta, Music College, Satyanarayanapuram and Madhura Nagar (old railway track), on the BRTS route. Vehicles coming from Ajit Singh Nagar, Mutyalampadu, Nuzvid and other areas will have to cross the BRTS road. As most of these localities are residential areas, local people rely on these four roads for reaching and leaving the city.

Tax Payers Association secretary M. V. Anjaneyulu feels that at least four flyovers are required from the Police Control Room to Padavalarevu for smooth flow of traffic. People will have to face hardships if the flyovers are not constructed. Instead of planning to prepare another DPR for the flyovers, the corporation should take up construction of the same immediately, he says.