Vijayawada to become the first south city to have BRTS

03 December, 2012

After overcoming several hurdles and deadlines, the Vijayawada Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) would finally be operational from December 10. If done successfully, Vijayawada would become the first south Indian city to have this system and join the club of Ahmedabad, Indore and Pune.

THE BRTS Project was sanctioned in the year 2007 by the Central Government under Jawaharlal Nehru national Urban Renewal Mission(JNNURM) and despite various hurdles, the work was started from November, 2008.

According to the agreement, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has to creat infrastructure to ply the buses. The corporation has purchased forty specially designed buses that will be handed over to APSRTC when the project is completed.

According to official sources, VMC will have a 25 percent share and Vijayawada Urban Development body and APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh State Road Corporation) are agreed to share 24 and 51 percentages.

Initially, the project was to cover only 15-km stretch in the city i.e from Railway Station to the police control room and the stretch will include Satyanarayanapuram old Railway Track, Machavaram down and Ramavarappadu Ring, NTR University of Health Sciences, Benz circle, MG Road, IGMC Stadium and State Guest House. The corridor has been built at a whopping cost of Rs 150 Crore with the grants of JNNURM. The APSRTC will fix the rates and operation planning is already prepared.

Vijayawada is one of the cities in Andhra Pradesh where public transport system is being operated by APSRTC for last three decades. 500 buses are being plied by APSRTC on more than 100 routes. One problem with the BRTS system could be higher fares compared to normal buses.

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COMMENTS (1)

Guest

ravi

thats a great news........though i am not from vijaywada, i feel very happy that one of the cities of Andhra pradesh is getting such a service. this shows positive signs of development.