U’khand, Delhi Metro ink deal for pod cars

HARIDWAR: The Uttarakhand government on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for building a laser-guided automated pod car project in Haridwar.

Pod cars or personal rapid transit (PRT) is a form of public transportation that involves automated vehicles operated on guideways. Uttarakhand urban development minister Madan Kaushik, who signed the MoU, said the pod car project will be the first in the country. “No pod car system is in place in India now.”

He added that it was conceptualised on the basis of a report of an 11-member delegation of officials after their study tour of England and Germany last year. “We assessed the viability and cost-effectiveness of the pod car and ropeway systems in the European countries and found them suitable for Haridwar. For different cities, we will opt for varied transport systems suiting to local geographical and traffic needs.”

The PRT corridor in Haridwar will be eight-km-long and cover Brahamkund, main Ganga ghat, Har-Ki-Pauri, and places like Jwalapur, said Kaushik. It is proposed to have 11 stations.

DMRC’s business development director Som Dutt Sharma said a pod car system was operated through laser-guided system backed by a battery set up.

DMRC will prepare a detailed project report in four months and submit it to the state government, said Kaushik. The state government also plans to build ropeways in Rishikesh and Dehradun, according to Kaushik.

Former traffic superintendent Kiran Lal Shah said, “Haridwar is a religious-spiritual city; Mahakumbh-Ardh Kumbh as well as annual Kanwar fair draw crores of pilgrims, so it’s imperative to have an advanced transit transportation system for the pilgrimage city.”