ByI'm not a fan of the BRTS.The system has been suffering from poor implementation. Only when I see an ambulance along those lanes do I tell myself that this transit system -which cost crores -makes a tiny bit of sense.However, I have managed to come up with a few suggestions over the years.All state transport buses must be made to run on those BRTS lanes. Authorities must make the required changes and ensure that these buses are able to use the BRTS stations too. Dedicated bus lanes in big cities make a lot of sense. They not only save space on roads but also allow buses to operate without traffic hurdles.BRTS corridors for Pune were planned before the Metro -the route plan was submitted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation in the March of 2009. However, certain rules should have been set in place immediately while deciding on two mass transit systems.If it's difficult to make these adjustments, officials can use the spaces right after BRTS stops to accommodate general route buses (see pic).Other buses can use this area to stop and pick up passengers. Certain infrastructure is needed for passenger convenience but I'm sure Pune's famed engineers can come up with something concrete.The worst part of Pune's BRTS is the underutilization.Thousands of vehicles are jostling for space in the city, but the BRTS lanes remain empty .So, why can't we also allow other private buses on these lanes? The lanes are wide enough to accommodate several types of big vehicles and one must bear in mind this -buses carry hundreds of passengers. If they are able to move freely , several hundred people are spared the congestion. It makes sense that we open these lanes for all buses, particularly during the rush hours.And when I heard that the Pune metro work was set to start along the Vanaz-Ramwa di route, I realized that the train can run exactly above the BRTS lane -on an elevated platform. There's no need to acquire more land. Both the systems -infrastructurewise -can run parallel to each other.Another example of bad decision is the BRTS stretch from Chandannagar to the Kharadi bypass. It's approximately a kilometre long. But there's no gap for citizens to cross the stretch. Road-crossing zones are a must. In fact, they form the very basics of good urban infrastructure.From the citizen's point of view, it's evident that the BRTS system was badly planned. For example, at Ramwadi Naka (near the New Airport road) one side of the road has space while the stretch near the Hyatt Hotel remains congested. Didn't the civil engineer make the right plans? Hopefully , the engineer in charge of the Metro project are smarter.The PMC should make sure the BRTS evolves. If it doesn't we have wasted both money and urban space - two very valuable factors today .And about feeder buses.The PMC needs to start using smaller buses as feeder vehicles for the BRTS service.Small buses need less fuel and are more agile. At least, try scaling down. I have seen large buses operating at night with just a handful of passengers. Smaller buses can take over during low-congestion times. It makes sense... you save both fuel and space.The writer commutes along the BRTS lanes

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