Mass Transit System

The Necessity of today in context of

Kathmandu
 Introduction
• Public transport (also known as public
transportation, public transit, or mass transit) is
transport of passengers by group travel systems
available for use by the general public, typically
managed on a schedule, operated on established
routes, and that charge a posted fee for each trip.
• Examples of public transport include city
buses, trolleybuses, trams (or light rail)
and passenger trains, rapid
transit(metro/subway/underground, etc.)
and ferries.
Source: Wikipedia
• Features of Mass Transit system:
• Mass transit may be based on fixed route system such
as subway trains, metros or non-fixed route system
such as buses. It is potentially more economical, eco-
friendly and less time consuming.
• In addition it is the most competent way of reducing
the ever growing traffic congestion of the developing
city. Mass transit has the advantage of smaller rights of
way and developing lesser amount of infrastructure
required for highways and roads.
• The drawback of the system is the necessity to travel
on a fixed rather than an individually selected schedule
and to enter and disembark from the system only at
certain designated locations.
• Also mass transit allows a higher amount of load
to be transported to far away destinations in
lesser time because of its reasonable capacity
than private vehicles. Because of their larger
capacity offering them to carry high efficient
engines they also help in saving fuels.

• Other Positive Impacts:

• Reduces congestion
• The main idea behind mass transit is to reduce
the number of vehicles on the road by providing a
larger facility which carries higher number of
passengers thus eliminating congestion.
 Why is mass transit system necessary
for Kathmandu valley?
Present problems of transportation system in Kathmandu
• Rapid Population growth
• Urban sprawl
• Rapid growth in number of vehicles
• Congestion
• Increase in Number of accidents
These factors affect:
• Efficiency of transport system
• Reliability of transport system
• Safety of people
• Economy in relation to fuel, vehicle import,
• Vehicular emission
Present Reality
 Challenges for Mass transit
• Insufficient capacity of roads
• Insufficient transport infrastructures
• Mixed traffic flow
• Route planning
• Behaviour of drivers, conductors ie.
Overloading of Vehicles causing inconvenience
to passengers
• Misuse of Syndicate system
 For successful mass transit following
criteria needed
• Infrastructure
• Planning
• Traffic capacity of roads
• Efficient Route planning,operation
• Priority to walk, cycles, disabled people and
then
• Renewable energy vehicles
 Mass transit as a remedy to solve
Kathmandu valley Transportation
problems

• Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT)

• Mono-rail or metro-rail
 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
• Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called
a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public
transport system designed to
improve capacity and reliability relative to a
conventional bus system.
• Typically, a BRT system includes roadways that
are dedicated to buses, and gives priority to
buses at intersections where buses may interact
with other traffic; alongside design features to
reduce delays caused by passengers boarding or
leaving buses, or purchasing fares.
Quito, Ecuador
• Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT), is the ideal
solution for solving the valley’s crippled
transportation structure
• Sustainable and economically feasible concept
• Requires comparatively less time for construction
and less infrastructure than that of railways or
metro
• BRT combines the capacity and speed of
a metro with the flexibility, lower cost and
simplicity of a bus system.
• BRT, unlike mono-rail or metro-rail, requires very
little construction.
Advantages of Mass Transit System
• They are a far more efficient way of moving people
than private automobile as large number of
passengers can be transported in groups replacing
individual vehicles.
• Space utilization of roads becomes efficient
• Reduces Congestion problem
• Saves fuel. While more fuel is consumed for forty people
using twenty motorcycles(in case of two persons per
motorcycle), it can be replaced by occupying them in single 40
seater bus. In addition, fuel is imported.
• Less number of accidents, less fatal than in case of
motorcycles, small vehicles like tempos.
• Mass transit is believed to be more environmental
friendly than other public transport facilities. Mass
transit reduces the number of cars on the road which
in turn reduces the pollution caused by individual
cars.
• All members of the society irrespective of their
financial status, religion or cast are able to travel
which enhances the social integrity of the country. It
is a blessing for those individuals who are unable to
drive.
Disadvantages of Mass Transit System
• Fixed route, schedule and stopping locations may
cause inconvenience to passengers
• Over crowding in buses causes inconvenience
especially to old people and children
• If not properly managed, it may prove to be
inefficient, uneconomic and those in authority
may try to take undue advantage of the
monopoly of the system causing inconvenience to
public
• Problems in the maintenance of buses, stations,
cleanliness may arise
Ongoing efforts on MRT in Kathmandu
• Private and government(ie. Municipality) have
taken initiative to run buses along certain routes
in the valley for example Sajha yatayat and similar
buses have come into operation along certain
routes, but lacks in performing due to inadequate
planning and insufficient infrastructure( stations,
terminals, stops, separate lanes, etc)
• There have been talks about the Kathmandu
valley metro rail and the monorail project but
may not be feasible in terms of cost.
 Bibliography
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_rapid_trans
it
• https://www.itdp.org/library/standards-and-
guides/the-bus-rapid-transit-standard/what-
is-brt/
• https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/traffi
c-nightmare-ideal-solution/