The bus priority lane pilot project along the expressway in Thimphu said to commence in August, has been delayed for about two months. According to the City Bus Service office, further studies to improve the project are being conducted to make it more efficient and reliable. The bus priority lane project will allow city buses, other buses, and emergency vehicles such as ambulances and police cars to use the left lane of the expressway during peak hours.
Signposts were erected and awareness campaigns were carried out in July of this year for the bus lane project to begin trials in August.
However, the officiating director of the City Bus Service office Pasang Tshering says that the project has been delayed due to the widening and blacktopping of the old Babesa highway for other vehicles that cannot drive on the expressway left lane.
He said that using the old highway would help address people’s concerns about traffic congestion along the expressway during peak hours.
“We also have to see an alternative route in case the priority lane makes that route very inconvenient for other users. So, what we thought was that we would use the old highway that starts from Babesa, goes by via Lungtenphu, and comes towards the city as an alternative highway.”
Currently, the City Bus Service office and the Thimphu Thromde are educating all the stakeholders like city bus drivers about the priority bus lane project.
The officiating director added that this time, the pilot phase will also allow other vehicles to ply in the left lane.
“What we decided was that we would include all buses, high-occupancy vehicles, taxis with one passenger or more, and private vehicles with three passengers or more. We also looked at the emergency vehicles, some vehicles that have critical patients travelling and requiring emergency services, and even two-wheelers. So, we will include all these vehicles in the first phase, and then, depending on the study and the data that we collect from it, we are going to improve accordingly. Maybe if that lane gets over-utilised, we will phase out some of the vehicles from there on to the right lane again.”
The traffic police will monitor whether private vehicles and taxis have the required number of passengers to drive on the bus lane.
According to the officiating director, the project might commence by December, as the winter vacation for students begins.
This, according to the officiating director, will ensure that there are fewer vehicles plying the highway, and consequently, fewer complaints.
Singye Dema
Edited by Sherub Dorji
