For the first time on Tuesday, the progenitor of the ill-conceived project Professor Dinesh Mohan felt the heat. At the review meeting, the professor was cornered for not anticipating the problems, which people were facing. Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf took him to task for sending politically incorrect message by spearheading the cause of public transport while himself travelling in a Mercedes Benz.
Upset with Prof Dinesh Mohan's wrong projection of the traffic volume on the stretch, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit reportedly complained against conviction that the BRT experiment has been successfully undertaken in 80 cities and the present 81st project would also prove to be beneficial to the people. "Why the increase in the volume of traffic was not anticipated? Why proper study was not done? What happened to the projections," Dikshit asked.
| Yes.. the Chief Minister of Delhi is named Dikshit |
The Chief Minister said that her Government had taken a bold step to implement the BRT based on the study conducted by RITES and Prof Dinesh Mohan to ensure people's convenience. All obstacles coming in the way of smooth operationalisation of the pilot BRT project were removed. Expressing her anger, Dikshit said that it's hardly a matter for the common people as to who is the implementing agency. "The Delhi Government is answerable for the BRT mess," the Chief Minister said pointing a finger at Prof Mohan, who was at loss of words.
Even the Transport Minister questioned Mohan for commuting in Mercedez Benz sending politically incorrect message. "You travel in a Mercedez Benz and advise car users to switch over to public transport," Yusuf said. On the queries of Yusuf, Prof Mohan initially did not utter a single word but finally he replied that his Mercedez Benz was 27-year-old. This must have left Yusuf mulling if the vehicle needed re-registration.
| Is an old Mercedes green? |
Mohan tried to defend the project, saying BRT experiment has been successfully undertaken in 80 cities, including Bogota forcing an official present to quip, "We must at least realise now that Delhi was not Bogota." According to sources, a red-faced Prof Mohan assured Dikshit that the situation on the BRT stretch would improve. |