How Could Ahmedabad Make BRTS A Success Story While Other Cities Could Not?

India's public transport has not been the world's best in the last few years, making the country's automobile market the fifth largest. However, in recent years, both the central and state governments have pulled strings to improve public transport to reduce carbon emissions and achieve sustainable development goals. The governments came up with electric public buses, and all kinds of public transport are currently being mandated to maintain the basic hygiene facilities. The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) came up in several cities; however, Ahmedabad's model has been much sought after.

What Is BRTS?

BRTS is a broad term given to a range of transport systems that, through the improvement in infrastructure, vehicles, and proper schedules, aim to provide a better bus service than an ordinary bus line. The plan was envisioned to become a game-changer in the transport business, eventually convincing the more significant public segment to opt for public transport for commuting. With BRTS, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation aimed to provide faster, reliable, eco-friendly and advanced public transport to the citizens. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has incorporated a "Special Purpose Vehicle" called Ahmedabad Janmarg Ltd to run and operate BRTS buses. Ahmedabad Janmarg Ltd is registered under the Companies Act, 1956 and is a 100% subsidiary of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

Ahmedabad has over 6.3 million people and an extended population of nearly 7.2 million people. Being the sixth-largest city in the country and having the seventh-largest metropolitan area globally, BRTS was brought into force to cater to the needs of the growing population. The government had started studying the feasibility of a BRTS in the city as early as 2005, and the technical procedures began in 2006. The bus rapid transport system is called 'Janmarg' in the town, which translates to 'people's way' in Gujrati. The trial runs for the same began in 2009, under the leadership of then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (ALJ), the parent company which governs BRTS operations in Ahmedabad, was constituted as a Special Purpose Vehicle by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority and the Government of Gujarat. ALJ introduced an Automated fare collection system through smart cards for commuters.

What Was The Significance Of BRTS In Ahmedabad's Public Transport?

Moreover, putting the system in place was not the end of the innovative initiative of the government, which kept upgrading the user interface for a better passenger experience. The method comprises a mixed fleet of air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses and has 220 Euro-III and Euro-IV compliant diesel buses. With the latest investments by a consortium of companies, the system was upgraded to provide a QR-based ticket generation in 2017 for the ease of passengers. Ahmedabad BRTS was rated Silver on BRT Standard in 2013. It was showcased at the 2012 United Nations Climate Change Conference as a 'lighthouse project' as part of the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Momentum for Change Initiative.

The bus transport system has received numerous awards from the Centre and countries abroad. However, despite all its technically-enabled plans, the transit system has been unable to achieve its primary objective, increasing the number of public transport users. In 2009, the number of people using public transport in Ahmedabad was less than 8.5 lakhs, which further declined to 7.5 lakhs by the end of the sixth year of operations in 2016. In 2011, the 42 km network of BRTS had daily average passenger traffic of 1.2 lakh, which increased only marginally to 1.32 lakh in 2016 despite the expansion of the network to 89 km.

Nonetheless, the concept engineered in Ahmedabad was applauded and studied worldwide. The United Nations published a study that mentioned that Ahmedabad was reaping the benefits of magnificently thought BRTS in faster and safer commute while eliminating air pollution, thereby creating an overall positive impact on urban development. The research mentioned that the BRT system had shown several mitigation impacts. For example, 20 to 22 per cent of the commuters have moved from using their motorcycles to the bus. With an average trip length on the bus of 7km, this translates into a saving of almost 200,000 vehicle kilometres per day (5,000,000 per month).

After Janmarg became a reality in Ahmedabad, it led to the overall rejuvenation of the city. The entire network was planned to ensure that the buses covered maximum destinations. Similarly, the widening of the BRT system with new roads and bridges has helped better connect the city and spurred some development. For example, part of the corridor passes through vacant former mill lands that now are being developed. This includes new housing and shopping areas for the urban poor.

Moreover, citizens played a massive role in making Janmarg a success story. Furthermore, the inclusion of BRTS in public transport has led to the overall improvement of services in the city. The buses with old and obsolete technology have been replaced with compressed natural gas buses. Since its inception, Janmarg has been a source of learning and has been visited by representatives from various cities across India and some international cities keen on implementing their own; BRT systems.

Representatives From Various Countries Studied Ahmedabad Model

Representatives from various countries like Tanzania, Lagos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Dar es Salaam reached the city to study and analyze the science behind Ahmedabad's BRTS. January offers a speed of 27 km per hour to its commuters, which is among the country's highest. Janmarg has also been successful in tapping the potential of private vehicle owners.

Moreover, the local government in Ahmedabad was way more eager than the governments in other cities and states to implement BRTS. Lastly, no doubt being the first in the race provided ample space for Ahmedabad to improve; however, the city administration and the state and Centre did a remarkable job reviving public transport in the city.

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