JnNURM Funded BRT Systems in India: A Review

Madhav PaiTechnical Director – India

EMBARQ

TRB, 2009Washington, DC

Current Status – 17 Cities are considering, planning or implementing busway/BRT projects.

10 of the 17 are being funded through JnNURM

@ Ambedkar Marg & Mehrauli Badarpur Road Junction

Bus priority at junction

Source: DIMTS

Metro Phase I

Metro Phase II

HCBS Phase I

Photo By: Madhav Pai, EMBARQ/WRI April 26th, 2008

Packed bus on a Saturday, there were more than 200 passengers in the bus

Photo By: Madhav Pai, EMBARQ/WRI April 26th, 2008

Bus Station on Mehrauli Badarpur Road

Car vs. bus drivers

65% of car drivers feel the BRT has made traffic congestion worse

75% of bus drivers say the BRT is a huge improvement for buses.

More than 50% of car drivers say that the new bus stops in the middle of the road do not make driving more difficult.

Bus drivers say it's easier to pick up passengers from the new bus stops and 72% of them say the middle-of-the-road stops are working better than the earlier system.

Most car drivers, 76%, however, say that they are worried about hitting pedestrians crossing the road.

61% of car drivers say driving is easier now that buses have their own lane

82% of bus drivers say the new bus lanes for them make driving easier.

Bus passengers

88% of bus commuters feel the new BRT and its buses are an improvement on Delhi's public transport system

71% believe it will help in reducing travel time - most bus users say their commute time has already been slashed by 50 per cent after the BRT was introduced.

60% of bus commuters say there are enough Marshals and traffic policemen to help guide them to their buses

Despite some design and operational issues, bus users & bus drivers are perceiving large benefits

Source: NDTV Poll, May 1st, 2008 http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080048558

Delhi BRTS Initial Corridor

Initial Operation: 2008Length: 5.6 KmStations: 12Ridership: N/A; 8,000 pphpdFrequency: 60 buses/hrCommercial Speed: 11-13 Km/hr

Median lane busways on Arterial – open system (0.1)Small shelters with narrow platforms – insufficient bays (0.25)Mixed fleet (0.25)Manual fare collection – on board, no central control (0.1)

BRT Rating: 0.70 (18%)

Source: Pai and Hidalgo, JnNURM Funded BRT Systems in India: A Review, TRB 2009

• The traffic signals did not work properly. Signal cycles excessively long (12 minutes)

• Bus queuing at stations - spillovers• High number of Blue Line Bus breakdowns in the bus lane. • Bus drivers were not well informed of the new operations.

Additional traffic wardens have helped providing instructions.• Motor vehicles and two wheelers invaded the bus lanes• Pedestrian jaywalking

Delhi bus corridor had several problems during the first weeks:

Source: DIMTS

Metro Phase I

Metro Phase II

HCBS Phase I

Pune Pilot Corridor

Pune inaugurated a pilot corridor on 3 December 2006

Bus priority in median lane

Pilot corridor of 14.8 Kilometers

PUNE

Things done well

Infrastructure costs have been low

High performance: commercial speeds of 16-18 km/hr in stretches where segregation infrastructure is complete. High occupancy 80-100 passengers observed in the peak sections.

Service receives good rating by users. People indicate that the busway has reduced the travel time and the new buses are of better quality.

Fares for new AC Volvo buses are same.

On board e-ticketing has been introduced.

Improved driver work environments. The uniformed drivers feel a sense of dignity and pride.

PUNE

Implementation was rushed, causing operational problems, user dissatisfaction and bad public image. Very few problems have been corrected since operations have begun.

Segregation infrastructure is complete in only for 3 kms of the 14.8 km corridor.

Respect of busways by the general traffic is not adequate due to lack of continuous segregation, enforcement and user education.

Bus stop circulation for passengers is difficult due to the presence of obstacles (seats, columns) and narrow sections. Passengers are required to step down the platforms to reach the pedestrian walkways at the intersection.

Level boarding has not been achieved as buses do not dock at close distance to the platforms. As a result there is high inconvenience to the passengers that need to walk down the platforms to walk up the bus entrances.

PUNE

Things that perhaps should have been differently

PMPML bus moving faster than rest of the traffic

Pune Pilot Corridor

Photo By: Madhav Pai, EMBARQ/WRI Feb 8th, 2008

PUNE

Students who boarded the bus at Vidyapeeth enjoying their ride back homePune Pilot Corridor

Photo By: Madhav Pai, EMBARQ/WRI Feb 8th, 2008

PUNE

Mixed Traffic in Segregated LanePune Pilot Corridor

Photo By: Madhav Pai, EMBARQ/WRI Feb 8th, 2008

PUNE

Opportunity for Terminal Development (355,000 sq. ft.)Pune Pilot Corridor

Photo By: Madhav Pai, EMBARQ/WRI Feb 8th, 2008

PUNE

No level boarding causes inconveniences to passengers and increases dwell times

Pedestrians don’t use crosswalks

Overcrowded buses Hadapsar Terminal

Pune Pilot Corridor

Photo By: Madhav Pai, EMBARQ/WRI Feb 8th, 2008

JnNURM

funded

BRT projects

in India

(Under Implementation)

1. Ahmedabad (Janmarg)

2. Indore (MetroJet)

3. Jaipur

4. Pune

Demonstration Corridor

AHMEDABAD

Project Highlights

BRTS – Master Plan – 88 km

12 km Pilot – 58 km Phase I – 34 Phase II

Pilot corridor will be inaugurated in March 2009

35% cost from JnNURM funds

Fully segregated corridors, level access

Closed system

Controlled operations

Fare integration

AHMEDABAD

Demonstration Corridor

INDORE

Project Highlights

BRTS Master Plan – 88 km

12 km Pilot – 47 km Phase I – 39 km Phase II

12 kms sanctioned, 50% funds from JnNURM

Pilot will be inaugurated December 2009

Fully segregated corridors, level access

Open system

Controlled operations

Prepayment, electronic ticketing

INDORE

Demonstration Corridor

JAIPUR

Project Highlights

BRTS – Master Plan – 138 km

7.1 km Pilot – 47 km Phase I – 84 Phase II

All 138 kms sanctioned

50% cost from JnNURM funds

Pilot corridor will be inaugurated in March 2009

Fully segregated corridors

Open system

Controlled operations

Prepayment, electronic ticketing

JAIPUR

Demonstration Corridor

PUNE

PUNE

Project Highlights

BRTS – Master Plan – 100 km

15 km Pilot – 58 km Phase I – 34 Phase II

All 100 kms sanctioned

50% cost from JnNURM funds

Pilot corridor will be inaugurated in December 2006

Mixed traffic through downtown

Open system

No controlled operations

Electronic ticketing

PUNE

Early Progress & Lessons Learnt

Bus Boost to Bus Based - Public Transport

A need for bus based public transport and preferential treatment of buses realized by central government (Ministry of Urban Development)

Change in perspective of senior city bureaucrats towards bus-based public transport system due to national workshops and exposure trips.

Realization in city bureaucracy for restructuring state/municipal corporation owned bus companies and implementing organized bus based public transport in cities where IPT has major share.

Internal capacity building for City staff

Bus Capacity Building Bus Industry

Bus body building was a cottage industry until a few years ago.

In the last four years manufacturers through internal research and joint ventures have rapidly built capacity.

ITS Industry

Local manufacturers are working very hard to build capacity in manufacturing GPS devices, traffic signal technology and other ITS equipment.

Local manufacturers have managed to significantly drop costs

Consulting Expertise

Contractors

Exposure visits, MoUD workshops and conferences like this have provided an excellent platform for exchange

Difficulties of working with new vendors

Costs for technology haven’t stabilized, which makes financial planning extremely difficult

Technologies (buses and equipment) haven’t been fully tested and systems have endure a learning process as industry matures

Routes in mixed traffic through city centers

Demand: 3,000 PPHPD

Speed = 20 km Speed = 20 km

Speed = 8 km

Speed = 20 km

Fare Levels

Fare levels are low, one rupee per kilometer or lower

Planned services maybe faster, more reliable and with better bus and information technologies, however planned bus occupancy is very high

Fares at these levels alone are not sufficient to provide adequate level of service and make the system financially sustainable

Financial Sustainability, Fare Levels & Bus Occupancy

Alternate revenue sources

Fixed annual subsidy

Land development

Convincing all City Staff

There is buy-in from the main stakeholders of the project, Engineers, contractors, land development authorities implementing the project are not fully convinced.

Logic of running the buses in median lanes continues to be questioned

Buy-in and confidence in the project is required to make bold decisions

Transfers of primary stakeholder has been a big concern

Special efforts to emphasize the need for equitable allocation of road space to all its constituents (Pedestrians, Bicyclists, Public transport, IPT and Personal vehicles).

Conclusions

1. Systems reviewed are all expected to improve travel conditions, quality and performance of public transport.

2. Systems in their current form will significantly contribute to mobility needs in Tier II cities, but are far from reducing the pressures of rapid motorization.

Recommendations

Make all efforts to facilitate improvements in the technology space -fare collection integration, terminals and operations control.

Comprehensive, performance based specifications in contracts to cover for lack of experience on the vendors/contractors.

Understand long term implications of contracts being negotiated with private parties for bus operations & fare collection.

Strive to achieve commercial speeds of 20 km/hr (Including stops and waiting at junction) with safe, efficient operations, boarding and alighting at stops, level boarding, limited access to bus stations.

Exposure trips, field visits, conference exchanges not only for decision makers but for staff working on the projects.

Enforce cities to supervise, monitor and control the system after implementation, to collect data for system planning, to archive collected data and to measure & monitor.

www.embarq.wri.org

Thank You

Foundation

Global Strategic Partners

SUMA PartnershipSustainable Urban Mobility in Asia

CAI Asia – ADB - SIDA