Contested Road Space: Public Narratives and Bus Rapid Transit in Indore, India

• Main Author: Bruno, Lucien V, IV
• Format: Others
• Published: ScholarWorks@UNO 2014
• Subjects: Bus Rapid Transit; India; Indore; Project Implementation; Road Safety; Public Interest; Urban Studies and Planning
• Online Access: http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1850; http://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2908&context=td

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has a demonstrated capacity to improve safety, mobility and accessibility for multiple types of road users. In India, where road safety is an ongoing problem, the national government has supported cities’ efforts to implement BRT as a cost-effective tool to improve urban travel. The case of Indore’s iBus attests to the cultural and institutional barriers that Indian cities may face in gaining public support for BRT. After a contentious implementation process, the High Court ruled to open the dedicated bus lane to private automobiles, resulting in drops in ridership and increases in accidents and travel delay. This study examines the competing, public narratives that framed the issues during and after project construction. Contested notions of the public interest, the cause of traffic problems, and community participation informed the basis for the arguments that culminated in the court ruling.