Page 47 - Traffic Infra Tech Magazine

MASS TRANSPORT

hen the Hubballi-Dharwad
bus-rapid transit system
(HDBRTS) began its trial run
in October 2018, it offered
Wa great sense of relief and
excitement to commuters in the twin cities.
Another group which welcomed the launch was
of transport experts and enthusiasts, who had
been anticipating the launch with bated breaths.
The 22-km project, which extends high-quality
transit services between Hubballi and Dharwad,
saw a four-year delay due to various reasons.
Now months after the system’s trial run, doubts
are being slowly put to rest as the HDBRTS inches
closer to the coveted ‘Gold’ ranking — conferred
as per the BRT Standard.
The BRT Standard and why it
matters

BRT systems help in the fight to reduce
transportsector emissions and offer affordable,
comfortable and convenient transit to all. The
BRT Standard, an expert-reviewed scorecard,
was developed to create a common definition
of BRT. Considered a magnum opus in BRT
design, the Standard is an evaluation tool
based on international best practices. It looks to
ensure corridors can uniformly deliver world-class
passenger experiences.
Start with the basics
As cities rush to develop bus-based rapid
transit systems, many remain unaware of the
characteristics of BRT corridors and how it can
match metro systems. Hence, it is essential to get
the basics right and then add features to improve
the system’s high-quality. Here are the five basics
that are fundamentals to a BRT system:
1. Dedicated right-of-way – A dedicated right-
of-way ensures buses can move quickly and
unimpeded by congestion.
2. Busway alignment – The busway is
best located in the central section of the
carriageway where conflicts with other traffic
is minimal, especially from turning vehicles,
on-street parking, property entrances, street
Pedestrian crossing at the Guangzhou BRT in China
vendors, etc.

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