Buses

Buses as Urban Infrastructure

Buses represent the cheapest form of urban transport infrastructure development for cities. They cost the least to instigate and maintain, and they are able to collect fares from a far greater number of locations than is their major current competitor, light rail. Despite this, they tend to be less popular than larger infrastructural projects among city governments. This is partially due to their disadvantages: They tend to have lower capacities, can be more uncomfortable, and are more susceptible to disruption from roadwork and traffic problems than are other forms of public transportation. They also have a negative image that contributes to their avoidance by some city governments, who find that [Page 95]flagship metro or light rail projects bring greater external capital investment. In some cities, however, bus rapid transport systems (BRTSs) have been developed as a central part of transport infrastructure. These BRTSs integrate services, amenities, computing and information technologies, and dedicated roadways to produce a fast and frequent service. Due to the comparatively low up-front costs, these are most extensive in, but not limited to, the Global South. The BRTS in Curitiba, Brazil, is viewed as one of the biggest successes, being used by around 70 percent of commuters. It makes use of local minibuses to connect passengers to larger-capacity, high-speed central routes with dedicated road lanes. Bus companies operate independently but are regulated and supported by the city. Stops are fully wheelchair accessible and contain facilities to allow passengers to purchase tickets, as well as public telephones and conveniences. BRTSs, however, require extensive planning, meaning that transposing certain examples of best practice without regard to contextual issues can result in poorly implemented schemes in some cities. The BRTS currently under development in Delhi has been heavily criticized during its trial period because of the ecological damage involved in its construction, as well as poor planning, which has reduced road space for car users and which has placed bus stops between busy lanes of traffic. Broadly, it seems that city governments often require the autonomy of those in South America to produce successful bus rapid transit schemes, something unavailable to many Asian cities.

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