Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Indore Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday expressed concern over growing public inconvenience caused by traffic congestion on Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor and directed chief secretary of the state to urgently convene a high-level meeting to find a practical solution.
Hearing a batch of public interest petitions related to the BRTS corridor, a Division Bench comprising Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi noted that uncertainty over the proposed elevated corridor project has left commuters facing prolonged hardship.
During the hearing, senior officials from the Public Works Department informed the court that the elevated corridor project, originally conceived in 2019, remains ‘alive’ and would be implemented according to the state government’s decision. However, they admitted that completion of the project may take nearly two years and that BRTS barricades on a 6-km stretch cannot be fully removed until the elevated corridor is constructed.
The petitioners argued that the government has shown little seriousness in executing the project, pointing out that it remained stalled between 2019 and 2024. They warned that continued delay would worsen traffic chaos and public inconvenience in the city.
Taking note of the situation, the High Court directed the chief secretary to convene a meeting involving the principal secretaries of the Urban Administration and Development Department and the PWD on a priority basis. The court asked that a concrete plan to address traffic movement on the BRTS corridor be finalised and a report submitted by January 28.
Court orders for building divider on 3.1 km stretch
Meanwhile, municipal commissioner Kshitij Singhal informed the court that out of the 14-km BRTS stretch, 3.1 km does not fall under the proposed elevated corridor or flyover plan. Accepting this submission, the court directed the corporation to immediately begin construction of a central divider and lighting on this stretch to improve road safety and traffic flow.
The contractor responsible for removing BRTS bus stops also complained of difficulties in executing the work. The bench reminded all parties of their public accountability, noting that the matter involves larger public interest. The contractor has agreed to hold a fresh meeting with municipal officials to resolve the issues, with a compliance report to be filed on the next hearing date. The matter will be taken up again on January 28.
