After the government took a Uturn on the Ambedkar Nagar-Moolchand Bus Rapid Transit system fiasco, experts fear that markings with yellow lines and cones will not help as the road will again become mixed lanes, bringing the traffic situation back to square one. "It's clear that the middle-lane of the BRT has been scrapped owing to its inherent flaws and that is the reason why the government has decided to develop the new BRT model. Keeping in view the new model, the old stretch should be undone," Prof. P.K. Sarkar of the School of Planning and Architecture said.

Delhi PWD Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan said that there is no plan to construct overbridge on the much-criticised Bus Rapid Transit corridor from Ambedkar Nagar to Moolchand. He said that the construction of the flyover near Deer Park could not be related to Bus Rapid Transit as it is at a reasonable distance from it. The Minister said that the Public Works Department (PWD) was constructing three flyovers at Africa Avenue Marg

The newly introduced bus rapid transit (BRT) system on a single 11-km stretch in Delhi has had a baptism by fire and just about survived. Although five corridors are planned as a first step, it is quite uncertain if the idea will eventually live and grow in practice. So those who feel that a key route to better cities is to have dedicated bus lanes to make bus travel more attractive and popular, see a long hard struggle ahead of themselves.

Even as the Delhi government is trying to make its beleaguered dream project bus rapid transit (BRT) project to work without causing chaos, Dinesh Mohan, professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and the brain behind the project has suggested to the Planning Commission to stall the expansion of the Delhi Metro Rail Project and replace it with BRT.

The September 2008 deadline for launching phase-1 of the BRTS is unlikely to be met as bidding for the bus services will be conducted afresh. Although officials are still confident that the bus services would be launched by the end of 2008, in the first stretch from RTO to Pirana, they will be racing against time to achieve that.

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."

The way to go: A dedicated bus carriageway will ensure optimum usage of public transport.

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.