Case Study of the Day: Ahmedabad’s Janmarg, India’s first full BRT system

Ahmedabad is the largest city in Gujarat, India, with a population of over 6.5 million people. The city has a long history of public transportation, but the existing bus system was overcrowded and inefficient. In 2005, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) decided to build a bus rapid transit (BRT) system to improve public transportation in the city.

Janmarg BRT System

The Janmarg BRT system was inaugurated in October 2009. It is an 89-kilometer (55-mile) system with 42 stations. The system features dedicated bus lanes, off-board fare collection, and level boarding platforms. The buses are also equipped with air conditioning and CCTV cameras.

The Success of Janmarg

• The system has carried over 300 million passengers since it was inaugurated. It has also helped to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in the city. In 2013, Janmarg was awarded the silver rating on the BRT Standard, which is an international benchmark for BRT systems.
• 20-22% of the commuters have moved from using their motorcycles to the bus. An average trip length of 7km translates into savings of almost 200,000 vehicle km. per day. 65% of the people who use Janmarg walk to and from the bus station. The widening of the BRTS with new roads and bridges has helped better connect the city and reduce pollution.

Janmarg demonstrates that BRTS can provide metro-quality service at a much lower cost. Its success has led to an overall improvement in the service quality of the municipal transport service. All old diesel buses with obsolete technology have been replaced with compressed natural gas buses. The routes of these buses are now being operated as feeder services for Janmarg.

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