Commending the performance of the Delhi Metro railway and the high standards its has set for other transport services to emulate, Union Urban Development Secretary M. Ramachandran on Saturday said the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation had emerged as a model for urban transport globally. Speaking at the 14th Foundation Day celebrations of the Corporation, Mr. Ramachandran -- who is also the Chairman of DMRC

Despite the public outcry against the bus rapid transit (BRT) system, the transport department reiterated that the work on other BRT corridors has been put on hold and not scrapped. The work on the these corridors will begin soon after the problems on the Ambedkar Nagar-Moolchand Nagar corridor are solved. Transport commissioner R.K. Verma said, "BRT is to minimise traffic congestion in the city. It will work once all these problems are sorted out. We need a little more time to make corrections and make this system useful for commuters."

A grade separator at the intersection of G.T. Road and Road No.56 near Apsara border and another at T-junction near Anand Vihar Inter-State Bus Terminus in the Capital's trans-Yamuna area are among six new projects worth Rs.909 crore that have been approved by the Expenditure Finance Committee of the Delhi Government. Finance Minister A. K. Walia, who presided over the Committee meeting, said the Department of Finance had given its nod for the infrastructure development projects to ensure a smooth flow of traffic on the roads.

The transport department of the Delhi government today banned the movement of Blueline buses on much-criticised BRT corridor from Ambedkar Nagar to Moolchand and deployed additional low-floor buses on it. Delhi transport minister Haroon Yusuf said that this had been done to make the movement of buses smooth as earlier it was reported that traffic jam occurred due to Blueline buses. Bus drivers halted the vehicles wherever they wanted. They do not maintain discipline. Now plying of only low-floor DTC buses will ease the traffic movement, he said.

The controversial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor project has now been challenged under the Right to Information Act(RTI). UndertheRTIAct2004,the home ministry has been questioned which are the agencies and departments and officials responsible for clearing the project. It has also been asked what is the basis on which the project has been termed a public welfare activity while thousand of commuters have been facing difficulties due to this project in the Capital.

With the Delhi Government ordering phasing out of Blueline buses from the much talked about Bus Rapid Transit corridor with effect from Thursday, most commuters travelling on the new stretch had something to cheer about. Not only was the bus lane free of traffic on Thursday, the Delhi Transport Corporation's new low-floor bus fleet also became an instant hit with commuters travelling in the corridor.

Thursday presented a now familiar picture of chaos and congestion at the 5.6 kilometre-long BRT stretch. While traffic pile-ups showed no signs of abating, despite certain traffic marshals claiming that they had reduced, numerous motorists plied in wrong lanes with no threat of penalty. Pedestrians, meanwhile, continued to cross helter skelter, with no regard for signals or zebra crossings.

With no feeders, BRT goes nowhere We asked our readers if they would dump their cars to take buses in the BRT corridor. A majority of them have rejected the idea saying the entire project is unjustified and unwanted and should be scrapped immediately No one can dare to dump cars

Pilot Stretch Cost About Rs 60 Cr, Cure More Expensive The state government is determined to continue its dreary plod along the BRT. It has asked the transport department and DIMTS to make it work at any cost, even consider options like constructing a Rs 200-odd crore flyover to buttress the Rs 60-crore pilot stretch.

A DTC bus crashed into a bus shelter near Press Enclave on the pilot BRT corridor on Thursday. Said Anil Kumar Gupta, a traffic marshal who witnessed the incident: