A recent judgment by the Jabalpur High Court has ordered the removal of the BRT corridor in Indore, marking yet another setback for India’s Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) & for public transport in general. This is not an isolated case—Delhi dismantled its BRT, followed by Pune, and now Indore is next in line.

What was once an ambitious project to transform public transport in India—a backbone for sustainable mobility reforms under JNNURM and a key tool for implementing the National Urban Transport Policy—now seems to have lost all support. Once again, cars have won the battle for road space, and public transport has taken a backseat. This decision takes us 15 years back to where we started.

Public Transport, A Costly Dream Fading Away

The BRT system was implemented in 10 Indian cities, backed by an initial investment of ₹2,000 crores under JNNURM. The core idea was to provide dedicated bus lanes, improving travel time, efficiency, and reliability in cities struggling with rising congestion.

A 2008 McKinsey report revealed that the modal share of public transport in Indian cities varied between 30% and 65%, depending on city size and population. BRT was envisioned as a solution to boost public transport usage, reduce car dependency, and promote sustainable urban mobility.

Government Public Transport Policies vs. Reality

On paper, India’s National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) emphasizes on sustainable mobility and public transport promotion. However, implementation tells a different story—one that largely favors car-centric development.

The primary reason for BRT’s failure in India wasn’t the concept itself, but rather its poor implementation and lack of political will. Unlike successful BRT systems in countries like Brazil and Colombia, where corridor lengths span 300–500 km, Indian cities implemented much shorter stretches, typically between just 5 km and 20 km.

This limited reach drastically reduced its impact, making it less effective and less attractive to commuters. Instead of expanding and improving the system, cities chose to remove BRT corridors altogether, prioritizing private vehicle movement over public transport.

“The more a city leans on mass motorized transportation, the more chaotic and unworkable its traffic becomes.”

Jane Jacobs

Bus Ridership is Declining – A Dangerous Trend for Public Transport

As per a recent study, bus ridership has declined significantly in major Indian cities over the years. This is alarming because buses remain the backbone of urban public transport, providing affordable, accessible, and last-mile connectivity that metros or other mass transit systems simply cannot.

• Metro systems cannot reach every corner of a city, but buses provide flexibility and coverage.
• Buses are a more inclusive mode of transport, catering to all income groups, students, and daily commuters.
• They are also a safer and more efficient mode compared to the rising number of private vehicles and two-wheelers crowding Indian roads.

Instead of scrapping the BRTS entirely, cities should be rethinking their approach, making improvements, and ensuring better enforcement of dedicated bus lanes. If an idea faces challenges, the solution should be to fix it—not to abandon it.

A Climate and Pollution Crisis in the Making

With climate change worsening and air pollution levels rising every year, eliminating public transport options is a step in the wrong direction. India already ranks among the world’s most polluted countries, with 14 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities located here, according to the 2023 IQAir report. Road transport is a major contributor, responsible for 20-30% of PM2.5 emissions in urban areas. Instead of fixing the shortcomings of BRT, Indian cities are reverting to car-dominated planning, which only exacerbates:

• Traffic congestion – India’s vehicle population is exploding, with nearly 340 million registered vehicles as of 2023, leading to massive delays and inefficient road use.
• Air pollution – Vehicular emissions contribute to roughly 40% of Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution in winter months, causing severe respiratory issues.
• Fossil fuel dependence – India imported $161 billion worth of crude oil in 2022-23, with transport accounting for nearly 40% of total oil consumption. More private vehicles mean higher fuel consumption, increasing both economic and environmental burdens.

Instead of prioritizing sustainable mobility, we are making our cities more car-dependent, worsening pollution, increasing fuel costs, and pushing public transport into decline.

“The battle for the quality of life in cities will be won or lost in the fight for better public transport.”

Jaime Lerner, Architect & Urbanist

The Bigger Picture: A Step Backward

The removal of BRT corridors sends a discouraging message to other cities, making them hesitant to prioritize public transport as the backbone of urban mobility. The reality is that cities should depend on mass public transport, not the other way around.

Even metro systems in India have struggled to meet projected ridership numbers—examples include Lucknow and Jaipur metros, which have not achieved their expected daily footfall. This raises an important question:

If even high-cost metro projects struggle to attract riders, can we afford to dismantle lower-cost public transport solutions like BRT?