11 skybus routes charted for city....Rajendra Aklekar Mumbai

 

IMAGINE GLIDING over city landmarks like the Siddhivinayak Temple and the Mahalaxmi Race Course or Malabar Hill as you go from your Andheri home to your office in south Mumbai. This could be a reality if the state agrees to the Konkan Railway's blueprint to link the city with 11 skybus routes (see map).

The Konkan Railway has submitted a detailed project report to the state for 111.5-km skybus stretches to take care of mass transit across the island city and the suburbs. The estimated cost of the 11 routes would be Rs 5,681 crore.

"We have already submitted this proposal to the state government," said Vaishali Patange-Patgar, Konkan Railway's public relations manager. Though the plan was submitted a while ago, it is significant because Konkan Railway invited global bids for its skybus project on Wednesday .

The Konkan Railway has charted skybus routes for 16 other cities, including Thane and Pune. For Thane, it has proposed 14 skybus routes, including linking Thane station, Naupada, Wagle Estate, over 14 km for Rs 63 crore.

A senior state government official said the state is yet to take a final decision on accepting the technology for any mass transit plan. The technology envisages construction of guidance rails at 9.5 metres from the road level such that the bottom of the coach is at least six metres over the road.

"Skybus will be very relevant in Mumbai's mass transit scenario," said transport expert Sudhir Badami. "The plan can be accommodated along the proposed bus rapid transit system; buses will move in dedicated lanes."

OTHERS TO FOLLOW

1. Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Pondicherry, Ranchi, Shimla and Thane. 

2. Depending on the number of coaches can be designed to take 18,000-one lakh persons per hour.

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