Uttarakhand Metro Rail Corporation (UKMRC) will construct state-of-the-art rapid transit systems in Dehradun, Haridwar and Rishikesh within next four years to ease traffic congestion, its MD Jitendra Tyagi said on Friday.
“The country’s first Neo Metro will start on two corridors in Dehradun. Also, Haridwar will see the country’s first Pod taxi,” he said, adding that the move will give a major boost to environment-friendly and cost-effective public transport in the state.
Neo Metro is the rubber tyre-based mass transit system that draws power from an overhead electric conductor. It runs on a dedicated elevated track. Provide on Demand (Pod) taxis are driverless electric vehicles that move on a specially designed track.
In addition, the corporation will complete two ropeways in Haridwar and Rishikesh for better travel experience of tourists coming from all over the world for pilgrimage and spiritual solace.
Ropeways and Pod taxis will be developed in PPP mode, while the Centre and the state will have equal share in the Neo Metro project, the official said. UKMRC MD Tyagi said the two Neo Metro corridors from ISBT to Gandhi Bagh and FRI to Raipur will cover the breadth and length (22.42 km) of the city..
The Neo Metro train will have a maximum speed of 70 kmph with an average speed of 25 kmph. “The project is in the process of getting approval from the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs, which has already been approved by the state government,” Tyagi said.
Giving details about the Pod taxis, he said it would cover a distance of 20.74 km with 21 stops in Haridwar. The Pod taxi will have a major stretch of 14.55 km from Sitapur (Jwalapur) to Bharat Mata Mandir that will be connected by three tributary stretches – City Hospital to Daksh Mandir, Valmiki Chowk to Laltaro Bridge and Ganeshpuram to DAV School.
The 2-km-long ropeway will take pilgrims from Har Ki Pauri to Chadi Devi in 9 minutes. Tyagi said they were going to build Asia’s longest ropeway of about 6.5 km in Rishikesh.