Though the committee is yet to start functioning, it will be required to reschedule and reroute the existing fleet of DTC buses plying on the routes likely to get affected once the metro starts operating.

The plan would aim at reducing the travel time and cost for commuters. "The trunk route traffic would be carried by mass rapid transport system (MRTS) while feeder routes would be covered by road," said an official. As per DMRC estimates, the central business district would be the trip attraction centre while the suburban areas would be the trip generators.

DTC would also be setting up its bus stops within the premises of MRTS stations.

Feeder bus routes would be identified separately for each metro rail station. For the influence area of each station and passenger demand, a terminal node has been identified.

For the 44 MRTS stations, proposed to be commissioned by 2005, a total of 115 feeder bus routes would be required. Various sections of MRTS would be commissioned between 2001 and 2005. Feeder routes are generated for each of the intermediate years.

Besides the feeder routes, 370 bus routes have been identified to be withdrawn from service with the commissioning of the first phase in 2005. These routes satisfy the demand pattern for which MRTS would be available. The withdrawal would be done in a phased manner.

The committee would prepare a scheduling plan for each of the 460 routes recommended for operation along with MRTS. Scheduling is one for the expected passenger demand for 2005 when the first phase of MRTS would be fully commissioned. An estimated fleet of 5,689 buses would be required to operate 460 routes of which 875 buses would operate on 115 feeder routes of MRTS.