BRT: For the people!

There is a great hullaballoo over the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), also known Metro Bus System (MBS), a project launched by the Punjab government in Lahore. The critics are accusing the provincial government of wasting resources and focusing Lahore at the cost of other parts of the province. They are ‘questioning the rationale’ behind the venture, but it is very much clear that all the noise is politically-motivated and aimed at creating misconceptions. Given the baseless reporting and statements issued about the project, it is necessary to share the reality with people.
Lahore is the second largest city of Pakistan with a population of around 10 million, but like other cities of the country, there is no organised modern transport system to serve the citizens. Ever-increasing population and congested roads necessitated innovative thinking and a project like BRT. That’s why the Punjab government decided to address the problem through investing in a project which ensures mobility besides providing easy access to masses, supporting urban life and making the city liveable.
A question may be asked: Wasn’t there any other options? Why BRT? The answer is the BRT is most efficient and cost-effective. Among other options, the average per kilometre cost of ‘Metro Rail’ and ‘Mono Rail’ is Rs6 billion and Rs3 billion respectively. But the expenditure on ‘Elevated BRT’ is Rs1.5 billion, while ‘At-Grade BRT’ costs Rs0.5 billion. Hence, the total estimated cost on the 26.71km-long first phase of BRT (from Gajjumatta to Shahdra) is around Rs26 billion. It is important to note that the government has planned to launch two more phases of BRT – Thokar Niaz Beg to Jallo More (Canal Road) and Thokar Niaz Beg to Anarkali (Multan Road) – in next financial year to ensure that the service covers maximum area of metropolis.
On the other hand, the feasibility study of the Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System (LRMTS), suggested by the previous PML-Q government estimated the cost at US$2.4 billion. Certainly, the current economic situation did not allow to for the much-hyped project; therefore, the PMLN government, which believes in optimum use of available resources, selected the BRT. It is astonishing politicking that former CM Pervaiz Elahi and others are blaming the PMLN of focusing Lahore when they were planning to spend US$2.4 billion on an expensive venture, without considering the alternatives. One must also remember that one dollar is now equal to Rs97.
Another reason for choosing the BRT is its success in various metropolises around the world. The system is currently functioning in 146 cities in the world with a total length of 3,658 kilometres and moving 24 million passengers daily. The number of passengers benefitting daily from the BRT in Latin America and Asia is 15 million and 6.3 million respectively. Cities like Tehran, Ahmedabad and Istanbul many others have opted for BRT during the last 10 to 15 years on high demand corridors to reduce congestion, travel time as well as pollution mainly because it is relatively cheap, flexible, fast, efficient and easier to implement. It also realises equitable democratic distribution of urban road space amongst people, as a car lane carries a maximum of 3,000 people per hour, while a BRT lane can serve up to 24,000 people like in Istanbul where the bus speed in highest – 40 kilometres per hour.
A brief look at the BRT in various cities from around the globe will help in understanding its efficiency and benefits. In the Columbian capital of Bogotá, a four-lane system serves 1.8 million passengers per day, the number for Chinese city of Ginangzhon is 0.8 million. With a two-lane, the BRT in Istanbul caters 0.6 million passengers and 0.2 million in Ahmedabad.
And just to list more positives, the BRT in Lahore will serve for next 12-15 years, while its physical Infrastructure is largely compatible to metro and mono systems (LRT). It will also maximize economic benefits because of scale and serve affluent as well as poor people. At the start of operations, it will cater 30,000 to 40,000 passengers per day.
In short, the detractors should keep in mind that the BRT is an affordable initiative, which will go a long way in reducing emissions and traffic volume. It offers safe, reliable and comfortable transport while saving time and fuel. It will also help attracting investment, and more importantly, create a new culture of public transport and land use in a congested city. The PMLN government deserves the credit for being the first in Pakistan in revolutionising the concept of public transport, a first step towards modern town planning and urban development. Given an opportunity, the PMLN will introduce the system in other cities of the province and the country.
But an entity like PPP, claiming to be a progressive political force, has no development plan even to cite an example. It started as a political force with slogans claiming that it was a ‘genuine left’, but it never bothered following any of their socialist models like Moscow, Calcutta, Delhi or any other former East European communist city. And in the post-1986 era, which pulled it towards the capitalist West, it didn’t shun its ‘anti-development credentials’ and ‘refrained’ from copying the models from the democratic secular world’s underground transit system of New York and London.
And yet PPP tries to brand PMLN as conservative and rightist political force. If rightist or conservative means initiating and completing developmental projects for public then shame on PPP and its so-called secularism and leftist sloganeering.
To inform the PPP and its allies’ feudal hierarchy, BRT will be the only service of its kind where a VVIP will be a common man and all car drivers will have to stop at every red light signal. A huge change in a society dominated by Zardaris, Wattoos and Chaudhrys!