Vizag, Vijayawada to operationalise BRTS

The trial runs for bus rapid transit system (BRTS) at both Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada have been completed recently. The project may be commissioned in 2013, reports suggest. Both projects, which began in 2008, have suffered delays by two or three years.The projects have been taken up with funds from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURUM), with the central government bearing half of the cost. The Rs 150 crore Vijayawada BRTS project is a smaller one, covering only 15.5 km. On the other hand, the Visakhapatnam project comprises two corridors – Penduthy corridor and Simhachalam corridor – with a total length of 42 km, estimated to cost Rs 450 crore.