Jai Ram govt moots monorail for Shimla

:In the wake of the growing traffic chaos in the state, Himachal Pradesh government has mooted a proposal for introducing monorail- mass rapid transit system.

Monorail has been proposed between town’s inter-state bus terminus and Kasumpti.

A presentation was made by Switzerland-based company Intamin Transportation Limited and before chief minister Jai Ram Thakur here on Friday, to start monorail services in Shimla town.

The Switzerland-based company has over 50 years experience in the monorail projects and have already completed such projects in several countries.

It was proposed that the mono train will start from ISBT Tutikandi and conclude at Panthaghati with twelve stops in between at crossing, MC parking, 103 tunnel, Vidhan Sabha, Victory tunnel, DDU hospital, lift parking, Himland, Talland, SBI ATM Khalini, BCS and Kasumpti.

The proposed total distance is 14 km and will take 20 minutes and can carry about 1,000 passengers from one point to another in one hour.

The monorail can ideally serve as the feeder line and can replace the bus routes inside the city. This project will require very little land and almost no tree will be cut. The representatives of the company said that after all the formalities are complete, the project will take about two years for completion.

Traffic jam is a major the problem in Shimla town . There are more than 14,000 vehicles in Shimla MC limits, which are registered with the government .

Further, the tourist rush particularly during the weekends compound the problems .

The town is also facing the shortage of parking spaces , even though more parking lots have been planned for Shimla town.

At present, there are parking spaces only to accommodate 2,000 vehicles . Its not for the first time that the monorail had been planned for Shimla, the previous Congress regime planned monorail for Shimla and Dharamshala. However, the plans did not the see the light of the day. Congress government at one time pondered over idea of introducing pod cars in Dharamshala but later found it unfeasible. Government had even hired a company to study the integrated transport system across the state . Government has already planned a rope way to connect ISBT with The Ridge, the Mall Road in Shimla. Recently HP HC had pulled up the government over delay in execution of work on the rope way project.

THE MONO TRAIN WILL START FROM TUTIKANDI AND CONCLUDE AT PANTHAGHATI WITH AT LEAST TWELVE STOPS IN BETWEEN