Date:09/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/09/stories/2009010957070400.htm

New Delhi

Govt. urged not to budge from original BRT plan

Staff Reporter

Day-long dharna at the Secretariat to mount pressure

NEW DELHI: Seeking to mount pressure on the Delhi Government to construct the much talked about Bus Rapid Transit corridors in their original form with the bus lanes in the centre, the National Alliance for People’s Movements and other organisations organised a rally and day-long dharna outside the Secretariat on Wednesday.

Interestingly, some of the organisations that took part in the dharna that in a way supports the Delhi Government -- which had persisted with the highly controversial BRT corridor despite a great deal of opposition from both the residents and Opposition parties – had participated in the farmers’ struggle against acquisition of their land that had taken the form of a relay protest in Kanjhawala.

The protest at the Secretariat, according to the organisers, sought to “pressurise the Delhi Government not to roll back the BRT corridor project and implement it all over Delhi in its original plan to save life, livelihood and living space for future generations”.

CM’s declaration

Stating that following a visit to the BRT corridor upon assuming office for her third term in December, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had declared that the bus stops would not be in the central lane of the corridor in the Defence Colony-to-Delhi Gate corridor but would be on the left side instead and there would only be a yellow line to denote the bus lane instead of a divider, the protesters said “this statement by the Chief Minister on the BRT corridor is against the basic concept and original plan”.

They said the BRT corridors are convenient for bus passengers, cyclists, pedestrians, hawkers and vendors and therefore the project should be implemented all over Delhi in its original form.