Personal Rapid Transit system worth Rs. 300 Crore

Sukhbir lays the foundation stone 
ON THE LINES OF HEATHROW AIRPORT 
PODS TO SOON GO AROUND AMRITSAR
  Amritsar// December 12, 2011//Gajinder Singh King

Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Punjab today said that
within next two years zero-poluting pods would be made functional in Amritsar to ease the traffic congestion as well as to facilitate those visiting the Golden Temple.

Talking to media after laying foundation stone of Personal Rapid Transit system worth Rs. 300 Crore here today, Mr. Badal said that this new technology transport system not only facilitate the pilgrims coming to Golden Temple but also proved to be beneficial for the local business, as it would attract more tourists to the city. He said that as the main station of this PRT system would be in Hall Gate bazaar of the city, thus, it would multiply the business opportunities for local vendors. “Moreover, the POD would run at height more than the nearby shops, the system would provide traffic and hindrance free access to these shops”, he added.

Highlighting the project details, Mr. Badal said that the holy city of Golden Temple, would be the first Indian city to get a Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system, which is based on 4-6 seat battery powered driverless vehicle that uses rubber wheels running on an elevated guideway. “PRT is in fact a personal taxi, which is demand-responsive to any user. 

It transports users anywhere within the track network directly and without any stops. Stations are off-line allowing the PRT ‘pods' to by- pass all stations en-route to the destination. At present, the PRT is running only at the London Heathrow Terminal”, says Mr. Badal. He said that project to be taken up on a public-private partnership.