Caterpillar trains and pod taxis to fight congestion

Caterpillar trains and pod taxis to fight congestion

Government to develop alternate modes of public transport for tier II cities.

The Centre has formed an integrated traffic and transportation plan for tier II cities to get rid of increasing air pollution and traffic congestion. As per the plan, the government will develop alternate modes of public transport like pod taxi, caterpillar trains and other non-motorised vehicles in cities with population between 10 to 20 lakh. As per the government norms, metro rail can be developed only in cities with population over 20 lakh and hence, the government has planned alternate modes of transport. Well-placed sources said the urban development ministry has prepared the plan that will be executed in partnership with the respective state governments. A proposal has been sent to the Finance Ministry for creating special fund for the project.

The Finance Ministry is in the process of finalising the budget for the year 2017-18 and sources said a separate fund of `85,000 crore could be announced in the budget speech. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present the General Budget on February 1.

The move comes in wake of rising air pollution and traffic mess on roads for which the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal have pulled up the government on several occasions. Recently, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to come up with an action plan on checking air pollution. The court also asked the Center to introduce pollution coding mechanism in Delhi. However, in tier-II cities, the government wants to promote the use of public transport and electronic vehicles, so as to check the menace.

Officials said the Urban Development ministry wants pod taxis in tier-II cities, most of which have been included in the list of smart cities. Apart from this, use of battery-operated vehicles, electric cars and small buses would also be encouraged so that the situation can be eased out in crowded areas. As buses cannot operate in congested markets, battery-operated vehicles would not only cater to the transportation needs but also reduce air pollution. Union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari has already announced India's first pod taxi in Gurugram while the Haryana government is also exploring the feasibility of caterpillar train in the city.

Experts said these modes of transport are cheaper than construction of metro rail network. While metro construction involves a cost of `100-150 crore per km, pod taxi and caterpillar trains can be constructed at 1/10th the cost of metro.

A senior official said the project will be implemented in partnership with the state government. The project cost will also have to be shared by the two governments. For this purpose, the states will have to give a presentation on ways to control traffic congestion and pollution in the cities. The government is also eyeing grants from the World Bank to execute the project.

Ensuring pedestrian safety and construction of cycle tracks will be another focus of the project. Nonmotorised vehicle zones will be demarcated in these cities and an effective traffic regulation plan will be put in place.

Strengthening of footpath and constructing cycle tracks will be ensured, keeping in view their safety as the two categories are the most vulnerable to road accidents. Intelligent traffic system will be introduced surrounding major markets and congested areas in order to get rid of vehicular pile-up on intersections.

Source:India Today

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