18 October 2012 Last updated at 02:57 ET

Delhi court rejects plea to scrap special bus corridor

The authorities say the bus corridor is the only way to reduce traffic chaos in the city

The Delhi High Court has rejected a petition to scrap the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor which reserves a special fast lane for public buses in the city.

The petitioners wanted the 5.8km- (3.6-mile)-long stretch removed because they said it led to long traffic jams.

The court ruled in favour of the route, even though research commissioned by the court called the corridor a "complete wastage" of public money.

City authorities say it is the only way to reduce traffic chaos in the capital.

Road experts who support the BRT corridor say fewer than 10% of people in Delhi use private cars, while more than 33% travel by bus and so reserving a lane for buses is a good idea.

According to government figures, the number of private vehicles in Delhi has grown from 3.3 million in 2000-01 to nearly seven million in 2010-11. At least 1,500 to 1,600 new vehicles are registered daily in the city.

Experts say as the capital of one of the world's fastest growing economies, Delhi faces huge infrastructure challenges.

The city lacks adequate public transport for its more than 16 million people.

The Metro rail network, introduced in December 2002, has taken some of the burden off the roads, but it is still a work in progress and does not cover large parts of the city.