With 11 Indian cities currently moving forward with plans to implement Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems, it is clear that this cost-effective and environmentally-friendly form of mass transit is beginning to take root in the country. However, despite all of the BRT projects popping up around India, there is still a dearth of local BRT experts with experience adapting BRT to Indian conditions.

To help address these problems, a recent BRT workshop was organized by the Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering, with support from the Municipal Corporation of Greater Visakhapatnam, the Indo-German Institute of Technology, the Federal Transit Administration, (FTA), the German Cooperation Agency (GTZ), and EMBARQ.

The event provided an excellent opportunity for decision makers, practitioners, professors and students in India to advance understanding of BRT systems under Indian conditions. During the workshop, EMBARQ Senior Transport Engineer, Dr. Dario Hidalgo, and EMBARQ Transport Planner, Madhav Pai, gave presentations on various BRT experiences around the world, and the state of BRT systems currently being developed in India.