TimesView The BRTS corridors in the city have become death traps because of the rampant trespassing by other vehicles. People illegally entering the corridors are so aggressive that the wardens posted to stop them fear for their lives. They have been virtually reduced to mute spectators. The lawlessness and complete absence of fear of being punished have emboldened the violators to even drive on the wrong side in the BRTS corridors. The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited must act fast to have some control over the bus lanes. The first step should be to put up sturdy electronic gates at the entry and exit points and arrange for a stronger police presence to rein in the undisciplined and reckless elements. PUNE: The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) has a plan to stop ST buses from entering the bus rapid transit system (BRTS) lanes but no mechanism to execute it.Unable to even check twoor four-wheelers from straying into the corridors, wardens guarding the lanes are clueless on how to slam the brakes on big vehicles such as Maharashtra State Road Transport Authority (MSRTC) buses.“Motorcyclists and fourwheeler drivers often abuse and threaten us when we try to stop them. We don’t know how to stop the MSRTC buses from taking the BRTS lanes,” said a warden posted along the Fatimanagar-Hadapsar BRTS corridor.Another warden guarding the same corridor said stopping an ST bus was “a dangerous task”. He said, “We frequently see ST buses and trucks entering the corridors. But we do not dare stop them as most of the times they are speeding. We might even get hit or killed if we try to stop such heavy vehicles.”The PMPML recently announced its plan to launch a crackdown on ST buses entering the BRTS corridors even as its on-and-off drive against private vehicles speeding along the lanes has almost fizzled out.A committee comprising transport activists, NGOs and representatives of the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic bodies and the PMPML was formed a couple of months ago and it raised concerns over the ST buses entering the BRTS corridors. The corridors are meant for PMPML buses only.A senior PMPML official, however, admitted that there were too many issues when it comes to implementation of the plan. “There should have been a proper planning before the announcement. The ST buses ply till late in the night and it will be difficult for the wardens to stop them. There cannot be round-the-clock police deployment along the BRTS lanes,” he told TOI.An MSRTC official said they have not yet received any formal request from the PMPML to ensure that the ST buses did not take the BRTS routes. “But if the PMPML wants this arrangement, the MSRTC will cooperate with it,” the official said.PMPML joint managing director Ajay Charthankar said letters will be sent to the MSRTC and the traffic police on the proposed arrangements. He said, “PMPML buses and emergency vehicles are only allowed to use the BRTS lanes,” he said.Commuters, however, are not much convinced with the PMPML’s plan. “PMPML has so far failed to stop the twoand four-wheelers from entering the BRTS corridors. Let the transport utility implement that plan first before thinking about stopping the buses,” said Sameer Rajan, a Hadapsar resident.Nagrik Chetna Manch secretary Qaneez Sukhrani had earlier told TOI that during a meeting in 2011, it was made clear that no vehicles, except the BRT buses and emergency vehicles, will be allowed along the corridors. “We have been for long asking the authorities to install equipment such as CCTV cameras along the lanes. The PMPML’s drives are mostly illogical and the civic body is least concerned about the corridors,” Sukhrani had said.

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