Besides the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) for Hubli and Dharwad, the authorities should also explore the possibility of introducing the Commuter Railway System for Hubli and Dharwad to better connect the twin cities and avoid congestion in the days to come, said M N Sreehari, adviser to the government on infrastructure development.
Speaking at a seminar here, Sreehari said, the government should come out with definite plans to adopt a multi-modal, integrated transport system for tier II cities to avoid future complexities such as seen in Bangalore today.
He said, the railway line between Hubli and Dharwad was readily available for the CRS to be introduced here. The cost of the project would be minimal and it would greatly help prevent traffic congestion in the near future and provide citizens with an efficient public transport system.
Pointing at the inordinate delay in implementing the Namma Metro project in
Bangalore, he said, the project would have really helped had it been introduced a few years ago.
Today, the metro rail is hardly a solution to Bangalore’s traffic woes, he said.
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With regard to the BRTS in Hubli and Dharwad, Sreehari said, the authorities should focus on certain key issues while implementing the Rs 692-crore project and ensure there are no problems after its implementation. The BRTS should be taken up with zero environmental degradation. Tracks should be well-barricaded to prevent the entry of other vehicles onto the bus lanes, he added.
A sufficient number of buses with doors on the right side should be introduced. Passenger-safety must be ensured.
This was the right time to have a definite plan for the growth of Hubli and Dharwad, and to execute it without delay, he said. The gap between planning and execution was the main reason projects failed to yield results in the country, he added.