You can soon travel via flying buses in Delhi
What's the story
India is gearing up to revolutionize its public transport system with the introduction of flying buses and advanced electric vehicles, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said.
The move is aimed at tackling the country's chronic traffic congestion.
In an interview with ANI, Gadkari revealed plans for an aerial pod-based transport system between Dhaula Kuan and Manesar in Delhi-NCR due to heavy traffic on that route.
Transport innovation
What are aerial pods?
The proposed aerial pod-based transport system is a form of Personal Rapid Transit (PRT). It consists of small, automated EVs that run on elevated tracks.
These pods operate like on-demand taxis, taking passengers directly to their destination without any stops along the way.
Each pod can accommodate two to six people, and some models used in other countries can reach speeds up to 240km/h.
Upgrades
Special e-buses with flash-charging technology
The government has announced a high-capacity electric bus project in Nagpur.
The 135-seater bus comes with flash-charging technology, stopping every 40km for passengers to board or alight within 30 seconds while it charges.
Once successful in Nagpur, this service will be expanded across major corridors: Delhi-Jaipur, Delhi-Chandigarh, Delhi-Dehradun, Bengaluru-Chennai, and Mumbai-Nashik-Pune.
Information
What about the fares?
The new buses will have "bus hostesses," akin to air hostesses on flights, as per Gadkari. Their fares should be 30% lower than diesel buses. Gadkari also revealed plans for a double-decker bus-like system to connect mountain states such as Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir.