Indore BRTS disruption turns 45-min trip into 90 mins:Buses once arrived in 2 mins, passengers now wait up to 15 without proper shelters

Passengers travelling on Indore’s i-bus service are facing serious problems after buses stopped using the dedicated BRTS corridor. Travel time has increased sharply, while traffic congestion, ticketing issues and lack of bus stops have added to commuters’ trouble. A journey that earlier took less than an hour now takes almost one and a half hours, even though the number of passengers has not reduced. Travel time has tripled between bus stops Earlier, i-buses covered the distance between two stops in just 2 to 3 minutes. Now, the same stretch takes 15 to 20 minutes due to mixed traffic. To understand the problem, a Dainik Bhaskar team travelled on an i-bus. The journey from Rajiv Gandhi Square to Dewas Naka took 1 hour and 35 minutes. Earlier, this route was completed in 40 to 45 minutes. By bike, the same distance was covered in 23 minutes. BRTS removal announced, but not fully implemented Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav announced on 21 November 2024 that Indore’s BRTS would be removed due to public inconvenience. The High Court also issued an order in February 2025 to remove the BRTS. However, even after half of December 2025 has passed, the BRTS has not been completely removed. Buses are now running outside the corridor, but traffic issues remain. Passengers say removing BRTS was a mistake Mithilesh Nigam, a resident of Rajendra Nagar, said travelling by i-bus was much better earlier. Now, buses have to face full traffic, which increases travel time. He believes removing the BRTS was completely wrong. Ashok, a resident near LIC, said the demolition of BRTS has doubled travel time. He added that traffic has become more mixed and chaotic. According to him, breaking the corridor has not improved traffic flow. Rahul Patidar, a student, said the government should not remove the BRTS. He called it the best facility for students. Earlier, travel between stops took 2 to 3 minutes, which has now increased to 10 to 15 minutes. He also mentioned frequent ticket-related issues. No proper bus stops, passengers wait in the sun Due to the removal of BRTS stations, passengers now wait for buses on the roadside. There is no proper shelter or space to stand. Many passengers are forced to wait in the sun, as buses stop randomly along the road. Drivers say driving has become difficult i-bus drivers say driving outside the BRTS corridor has increased their difficulty. They now have to deal with heavy traffic. Earlier, reaching the next stop took 2 to 3 minutes. Now, it takes 10 to 15 minutes. Journey time increased by nearly an hour Ashok Kumar Chaudhary, an i-bus driver for the past three years, said that earlier it took 40 to 45 minutes to travel from Rajiv Gandhi Square to Dewas Naka. Now, the same journey takes 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Earlier, passengers got an i-bus every 2 to 3 minutes at the stop. Now, due to traffic delays, passengers often wait up to 10 minutes for a bus. Ticketing done on the roadside There are 20 stops on both sides between Rajiv Gandhi Square and Dewas Naka. These stops are now operating directly from the roadside. Passengers are forced to buy tickets while standing on the road. There is little space, making the situation unsafe and uncomfortable. Passenger numbers same, but travel slower Even after BRTS lanes were opened to traffic, the number of passengers has not decreased. However, overall travel time has increased significantly. City Engineer says BRTS not suitable for Indore City Engineer Atul Seth said BRTS works in a linear city, while Indore is circular in structure. Currently, the city spans 12 to 13 km, and may expand up to 20 km in the future. He said Metro and BRTS will never be fully useful in Indore. According to him, buses are not being removed. Only the dedicated lanes and bus stands are being abolished to reduce congestion at intersections and improve average traffic speed. 55,000 to 65,000 passengers use i-Bus daily The BRTS corridor passes through the heart of Indore. It connects educational institutions, hospitals and corporate offices. Around 55,000 to 65,000 passengers travel daily on i-buses, most of them students. Indore is the only city left with BRTS Indore’s BRTS, launched in 2013, is now the only one left in Madhya Pradesh. The BRTS in Bhopal has already been dismantled. Details of Indore BRTS corridor The BRTS corridor in Indore is 11.5 km long, running from Niranjanpur to Rajiv Gandhi Square. A 6 km stretch from LIG to White Church Road is a major bottleneck due to narrow road width. There are 20 bus stops on the corridor, with 49 buses currently operating. The BRTS has also caused difficulties in constructing bridges at junctions. Project cost Rs 300 crore The Indore BRTS was built at a cost of Rs 300 crore, with 12 stations constructed on the bus lane. Funding was provided under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The project faced opposition from the beginning, especially over the creation of a dedicated bus lane. Bhopal BRTS removed earlier In Bhopal, discussions on removing the BRTS and widening VIP Road were held a year ago by the Chief Minister with ministers, MLAs and officials. An agreement was reached, and the BRTS was removed. Around Rs 360 crore had been spent on the Bhopal BRTS project about 13 years ago.