People badly hit by delay in BRTS project

- The GVMC has taken up the project to provide a hassle-free and effective community transport system between Pendurty to RTC complex via NAD X Road and Pendurty to RTC Complex via Arilova and Hanumanthawaka junction
- The government should review and address the traffic issues, demanded Visakhapatnam West MLA PVGR Naidu (Ganababu) in the Assembly

Visakhapatnam: The Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) project, which is more than a decade old, is still not completed, thus creating misery among the people and traffic problems in the city. The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) and traffic police gave permission to use the middle road exclusively for the APSRTC buses, leaving aside 80 per cent of vehicular traffic to its fate without completing the project. Moreover, the footpath encroachments were not removed and illegal parkings places were also not removed.

The GVMC has taken up the BRTS project to provide a hassle-free and effective community transport system in the two corridors, Pendurty to the RTC complex via NAD Cross Road and Pendurty to RTC Complex via Arilova and Hanumanthawaka junction. After clearing several bottlenecks, the project was completed with several changes in the plan. Even the GVMC had failed to acquire lands and houses for widening of roads.

According to BRTS plan, there should be six and four-lane roads in the two corridors. However, as large numbers of houses have to be demolished at overcrowded junctions, the GVMC failed to complete the project on time. As a result, the GVMC modified the project with three-lane roads at some busy locations like Gopalapatnam, Simhachalam and Adavivaram areas.

As per the changes, the GVMC completed the project with three lanes but cleared the footpath encroachments and parking needs of shops and establishments on the left and right sides.

Even after 10 years, the GVMC has failed to announce that the project was completed and allotted the middle road for the APSRTC buses only.

In fact, in Visakhapatnam city traffic, the share of the APSRTC is only 19 per cent while 81 per cent of the road was given for use to the other vehicles. With this, the students, are facing tough times in reaching their schools and colleges especially during the peak hours in the morning and evening. Even the middle road which is captive for RTC, appears free and the traffic police are not allowing the other vehicles on middle road and not clearing the traffic hurdles on left and right roads.

Speaking to The Hans India, GVMC Commissioner M Hari Narayanan said that the GVMC was only constructing the BRTS Road and the project was taken up by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), "Visakhapatnam Urban Transport Company," headed by the Collector. The issues connecting the road traffic will be discussed in the board meeting of SPV, he said and added the two corridors were part of the city. “We will discuss the traffic issues in the board meeting," he said.

“We are much surprised about the GVMC and traffic police restrictions. Without even completing the project, how can they allow the middle road exclusively for RTC buses only.” said P S Sudha and N Sireesha.

V K L Gayatri