“The Seoul Metropolitan Government would be guiding the implementing agency in the BRTS project under the CityNet programme, an Asia-Pacific regional network of local authorities,” said R Ramana, senior transport planner with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) after a presentation by Dr Kim Gyeng-Chul, director, Department of Urban Transit for Seoul Metropolitan Government, on encouraging public transport usage in congested cities like Mumbai.

Dr Gyeng-Chul, a widely acknowledged authority on Bus Rapid Transit Systems, offered insights on how Seoul realised the need to implement a public transport project that included bus rapid transit.

He said there are now over 70 kilometres of BRT network in the city, and over 190 km of BRTS in the pipeline.

“In 2000, there were 51 units of CNG buses that increased to 1,020 in 2002. And now we’re projecting 8,179 buses by 2010 for use in the BRT network,” he said.

“In Seoul, only the governor and vice-governor travel in their cars. Other government officers take public transport.”

Dr Gyeng-Chul also had some recommendations on reducing Mumbai’s congestion, including higher parking charges.

According to UPS Madan, project director of the Mumbai Transformation Support Unit of the All India Institute of Local Self Government (AIILSG), the city’s BRTS project will get a nudge forward with expert guidance from Seoul.

So far, the consultant for the two phases of BRTS has being appointed by the MMRDA.

“The consultants will decide on the lane, designs of the stations, etc,” he said.

“There are lessons to be learnt from what Seoul has done over the years,” Madan added.

“Our priority should be pedestrians and not cars.