BRTS: Revised project report presented to minister

JAIPUR: The revised detailed project report for the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in Jaipur was presented to urban development minister Shanti Dhariwal on Monday. According to sources, after inaugurating the foot bridge on Tonk Road on Tuesday, the minister and officials will survey the proposed BRTS route.
The DPR studied the coexistence of BRTS and Metro rail project. Earlier, there were some doubts about the feasibility of both existing together. Some experts were of the opinion that the BRTS was designed to meet the traffic needs for the next 15 years and the metro could have been planned later as a slight change in metro plan can delay the BRTS plans by several months.
However, putting an end to all speculations, Dhariwal made it clear that the BRTS as well as the monorail project would act as feeder services to the metro project and that care will be taken to ensure that these modes of transport don't criss-cross each other or eat into others share.
It was also made it clear during the meeting that at sites where it was not feasible to run the metro on ground, it will be elevated.
Speaking about the BRTS project, Dhariwal said it will run through places which have a width of at least 45 metres. The project has been halted in 2009 after spending nearly Rs 65 crore of the estimated Rs 469 crore budget. Its route will remain from Choki Dhani to Harmada and will also cover Mahal and Jagatpura regions.
Principal secretary, UDH, G S Sandhu and JDA commissioner Sudhansh Pant attended the meeting besides other officials.