A study of high capacity busways in developing cities

Many of the world's major cities face the ever-increasing problem of traffic congestion. Buses are forced to compete for road space with all other road users and hence frequently fail to deliver an acceptable public transport service. Numerous cities throughout the world are now planning rail-based metro systems to provide public transport. Because of the extremely high capital costs, however, metros will rarely be appropriate, particularly in developing countries. Modern bus systems, including busways, could provide a viable mass transit option. This Paper presents the main findings of a TRRL (now TRL) research project on the performance of busways in developing cities. From a case study of eight such systems, capacity figures are presented which show that passenger flows of over 20000 per hour per direction are possible and that even higher flows might be achievable given the right combination of design and operational features A busway transit network with a dedicated track, trffic signal priority and similar stop-spacing to that of a metro is potentially able to provide a suitable alternative to a rail-based system, at a fraction of the cost. With high-quality buses and a good corporate image, such a system could be attractive to city authorities in many UK and European cities Bus stop spacing and design are found to be the critical component of a high capacity busway transit system, although the provision of overtaking bays, together with efficient ticketing arrangements, can greatly improve throughput. The advantages of busways for a developing country include their relatively low costs, with minimal foreign-exchange requirement, and much greater flexibility and adaptability when compared to a fixed-route system.