Pai said one of Lalbaug flyover's major problems is its design. "One cannot build a flyover simply thinking that car owners should be brought from north to south. One of the biggest aspects of designing a flyover is to keep in mind the existing infrastructure below it -- like roads, bus stops and footpaths. This is aspect has been ignored and the conflict is now self evident.

Pai said one of Lalbaug flyover's major problems is its design. "One cannot build a flyover simply thinking that car owners should be brought from north to south. One of the biggest aspects of designing a flyover is to keep in mind the existing infrastructure below it -- like roads, bus stops and footpaths. This is aspect has been ignored and the conflict is now self evident.

Pai said one of Lalbaug flyover's major problems is its design. "One cannot build a flyover simply thinking that car owners should be brought from north to south. One of the biggest aspects of designing a flyover is to keep in mind the existing infrastructure below it -- like roads, bus stops and footpaths. This is aspect has been ignored and the conflict is now self evident.

Completed in seven years and nine months against its projected 10-year deadline, the Delhi Metro became a showcase of Indian efficiency and quality on a scale never attempted before.  "It will change the way the city grows," says Madhav Pai, program director for India at Embarq, a firm that works on sustainable transport solutions. 

Ahmedabad, India, is one city trying to answer that question. Under imperial Britain, its clutch of textile plants earned it the nickname "Manchester of the East." These plants never strayed too far from the city center, so development grew densely.

Experts in favour of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) want to convince political leaders heading government agencies to back the project.

Experts in favour of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) want to convince political leaders heading government agencies to back the project.

While other cities in India are planning new Metro systems to address their transport woes, Ahmedabad has thrown its weight behind Bus Rapid Transit instead. And given the may advantages this enjoys over rail - cost, potential, flexibility - it may prove to be the wiser choice, writes Madhav Pai.