We are in the process of writing Terms of Reference for study and implementation of a new Busway/BRT system in Mauritius to serve the dense and highly congested suburban corridor stretching from the capital city, Port Louis, to the town of Curepipe to the south. We have a disused rail right of way which we will be using. Last year, we held consensus forums with twenty major stakeholders, which resulted in a recommendation to proceed with an open busway -- this means that existing operators who meet strict service standards we propose to fix will be allowed to operate routes starting or finishing off the busway, while using the busway for express operations. I would very much welcome information and advice from anyone on issues connected with open busway operation. I am concerned to hear that a number of BRT systems have been started on an "open" concept, but not been successful -- information on reasons for success or failure would be very useful. There are reasons to go for an "open" approach beyond the clear political rationale that this will promise future participation for existing bus operators and their labor. Many residential areas lie beyond the immediate reach of the busway, while direct service -- without the need for connections at busway stations -- is likely to be most attractive to those currently driving to work. Direct services would also cut down for the need for complex interchange facilities and parking at the busway stations themselves -- and this may be important as there is limited space available at a numnber of the locations. We are concerned about how we might run the facility to permit the maximum efficient throughput of buses while avoiding congestion. Would a signal system run by a central control centre be one appropriate approach? Has anyone tried this? One option would be to provide passing lanes at all stations so that buses coming from beyond the busway could operate express to Port Louis while avoiding causing congestion at stations. We might even be able to combine "closed" and "open" concepts, with an "all-stations" service operated by one operator or consortium, while other operators use the facility as an expressway but do not serve intermediate stations. Any informal ideas would be much appreciated. If you are not already on our informal mailing list and might potentially be interested in offering consulting services, please also feel free to ask to be added to the list, although you should note that we are planning extensive international advertising of the project according to formal procurement rules. Many thanks, --Jonathan ----- Jonathan Richmond Transport Adviser to the Government of Mauritius Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Land Transport and Shipping Level 4 New Government Centre Port Louis Mauritius +230 707-1134 (Mauritius mobile) +230 288-2942 (Mauritius home) +1 (617) 395-4360 (US phone number) e-mail: [log in to unmask] http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/