Surat, DeshGujarat

Bus Rapid Transit System(BRTS) project has been a failure in Surat, alleged Congress Councillors in general board meeting of Surat Municipal Corporation.

Surat has completed the first phase of BRTS project on Udhna-Navsari road where buses are already in operation.

Opposition Councillor Prakash Desai while speaking in general board meeting said Udhna-Navsari road has slums and considerably good number of middle class population, but they just refuse to use BRTS. Even after 11 months of operation, they are avoiding BRTS. Surat Municipal Corporation(SMC) has therefore suffered loss of 3-3.25 crore Rs. In most of the buses, one can find only conductor, driver and two-three passengers. People find rickshaws cheaper than BRTS. While one can get rickshaw right at door step, they need to walk for BRTS.

Councillor Mukesh Desai was of opinion that today when BRTS project is already operational and second phase works are also going on, the real question to be asked is how to make BRTS successful. People of Surat have no habit to use mass transportation.

Councillor Bhupendra Solanki said BRTS phase-1 work was started in year 2009 and service could be launched only after five years of delay. All phases works are running late.

Reacting to this, Mayor of city said that BRTS is long-term project in view of worsening traffic situation. He said people of Surat have no habit of using mass transportation, but they will need to develop new habit and take maximum advantage of mass transportation in future.

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