Bhubaneswar: The state government has decided to introduce Bus Priority Lanes on two major corridors of the Capital city on a pilot basis to improve public transport efficiency, reduce travel time and ease traffic congestion.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Housing and Urban Development Department Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee here Thursday. Following a presentation by CRUT Managing Director Md Siddique Alam, Padhee directed that the initiative be implemented initially on two high-density corridors.
A multi-agency committee has been constituted to oversee the pilot, monitor its performance and suggest refinements for wider expansion. The two corridors identified are the 18-km Biju Patnaik International Airport-Nandankanan corridor and the 5-km Vani Vihar-Sishu Bhavan corridor.
The Airport-Nandankanan corridor has 34 bus stops and caters to around 9,000 10,000 passengers daily, while the Vani Vihar-Sishu Bhawan corridor, with 15 bus stops, serves approximately 5,000 6,500 passengers a day.
Officials said traffic congestion currently results in the loss of around 1,200-1,500 bus trips every month, accounting for nearly 16 per cent of trips being lost due to traffic-related cancellations. The proposed priority lanes are expected to reduce bus travel time by 10 to 20 per cent and improve average bus speeds by 15 to 25 per cent, besides enhancing road safety.
The pilot will use flexible kerbside priority lanes instead of rigid physical segregation to minimise disruption to general traffic. Public buses, school buses and emergency and essential services will be given priority access.
The preparatory phase, expected to take 10 to 12 weeks, will include traffic surveys, corridor design, lane markings and signage, improvement of bus queue shelters, traffic signal optimisation and identification of designated pick-up and drop-off points for three-wheelers and cabs. It will be followed by a three to six-month pilot during which performance will be monitored through Intelligent Transportation Management Systems (ITMS).
A detailed SOP will be prepared covering lane usage, bus movement, boarding and stopping arrangements, enforcement, emergency access and incident management. Drivers and operational staff will also be trained on lane discipline, safety and the approved procedures.
Unauthorised entry of private vehicles and illegal kerbside parking may attract auto-generated e-challans wherever technically and legally feasible. Ambulances and fire tenders will have unrestricted access to the priority lanes.
