The Delhi bus rapid transit (BRT) system has succeeded in meeting some of its key objectives, though it is still a work in progress, according to EMBARQ's senior transport experts Dario Hidalgo and Madhav Pai. Their assessment of Delhi's 5.8-kilometer BRT pilot corridor was conducted earlier this month in collaboration with the Centre for Science and the Environment (CSE), a public interest research and advocacy organization.

The assessment, made in consultation with planning and implementing agencies involved in the project, included suggestions on how to improve the performance of the corridor, as well as overall mobility management in Delhi. Results were presented to Rakesh Mehta, chief secretary of the Delhi Government, who asked CSE and EMBARQ to provide recommendations on how to establish a continuous monitoring mechanism and quality of service upgrades.

Hidalgo and Pai say that BRT managers need to focus on raising the operational efficiency of the system, now that the infrastructure is in place, and priorities should include improving the reliability, comfort and quality of bus services, as well as road safety.

Other key observations and recommendations:

Speeding up
The average speed of buses along the pilot corridor has increased from about 12 kilometers per hour to 19 kilometers per hour. And the average travel time for bus users decreased by 35 per cent.

Moving more people
Buses make up only 2 percent of all vehicles at the Chirag Delhi intersection during the morning peak hour and they move 55 percent of commuters. Cars and two-wheelers, on the other hand, make up 75 percent of the motorised fleet, but move only 33 percent of the people. Therefore, future improvement in the management of the corridor should focus on moving more people, rather than just vehicles, the assessment concludes.

Focus on improving operations
Now that the infrastructure is in place, better quality of service will help retain the current bus ridership (55 percent). “The priority should be to improve the reliability, comfort and safety of buses and the quality of bus services," Hidalgo says.

Integrate the system
Dedicated facilities for different road users, including pedestrians and bicyclists, need to be preserved in order for the system to function in an integrated matter. "Any compromise on the right of way for pedestrians will erode the bus ridership and will hurt the integrity of the corridor," Hidalgo says. "The current practice of letting motorised vehicles use the bicycle facilities should be prevented.”

Measure for results
Hidalgo emphasizes that the pilot corridor and its future expansion must be evaluated every three months to ensure that it meets objectives. This will help to guarantee travel speed, cost, and the enforcement of lane discipline, especially under changing road conditions.

City must make effort to curb congestion
Improved traffic area management and dedicated lanes for motorized vehicles can provide temporary relief to traffic congestion, but the additional space can easily fill up with more traffic from adjacent roads. Therefore, the city must enforce measures to reduce to overall number of vehicles on the road, Hidalgo says.

Learn from other cities
Delhi can learn from other Asian cities that have implemented successful BRT projects, such as Jakarta, Indonesia, home to one of the most extensive BRT networks in the world, totaling 82 kilometers in length.

The evaluation of the bus corridor in Delhi was made possible thanks to the generous support of the ClimateWorks Foundation and EMBARQ's global strategic partners Shell Foundation and Caterpillar Foundation.

To read a full press release about the BRT evaluation, click here.

To read a report on The Delhi Bus Corridor, click here