Wednesday, May 14, 2008

the new brt

I missed this one--but I can't resist commenting on it now.

Apparently, Delhi has decided to experiment with a "new model" for the BRT, where the buses drive in the left lane and the cars drive on the right and there's no physical barrier between the lanes. It sounds suspiciously like the way the roads were before this fiasco started, I know, but here's what chief secretary Rakesh Mehta had to say, according to the Hindustan Times: "We have decided to try out another model for the Moolchand to Delhi Gate stretch. The bus lane will be on the left, while the car lane would be in the centre. The bus lane will be painted in a different colour, and traffic police will be asked to enforce discipline." ("Stop, please! You're killing me! You had me at 'another model'," a local scribe is rumored to have remarked).

Three days later, transport minister Haroon Yusuf demystified the elusive "second model" for the Times of India. "Bus stops will remain where they are and cars will ply as usual. It is not a second pilot because we are not doing anything at all. It will just be status quo," he said.

Apparently, he didn't get the memo that the Sheila Dikshit government was trying to save face.

2 comments:

Zac said...

I personally would like to applaud the Delhi government for setting greater standards of incompetence.

Think this one will be hard to beat!!!

Perakath said...

At least they tried, huh?