Amdavadis will board a new era of mobility on Wednesday. The eagerly awaited Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) -- arguably India's first project of its kind -- which will move commuting into a historic gear in the city, is to be launched on Wednesday.
                            The service, to be run by the AMC-floated Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (AJL), promises to offer world-class urban transport. Initially, its 22 swanky BRTS buses will be seen gliding smoothly on the 12-km stretch from RTO to Chandranagar. The project has cost Rs80 crore so far. Chief Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the service from Chandranagar.
                           Ahmedabad BRTS is being called the country's first such project because experts who planned it say that the only project that comes close to it in India, the Delhi BRT, has a different character. The experts say that the Delhi BRT is primarily a road infrastructure project or high-capacity bus service in which all types of buses run in a lane designed for the BRTS.
                          As for the Ahmedabad BRTS, it will be launched with 22 buses. "We have kept 30 buses ready and we will study the demand and decide the final number of buses to be deployed," said municipal commissioner and AJL chairman, IP Gautam.
                          The BRTS launch will encourage Amdavadis to move from conventional means of transportation to a modern intra-city commuting system. Points of entry for passengers are the vibrant bus stands that dot the BRTS corridor at 500-metre intervals. The 7.5 metre-wide BRTS corridor has been segregated from the rest of the road by green-yellow metal fencing on both sides.