KTR seeks Centre's assistance for rapid transit system

Hyderabad: Telangana Government has come out with a proposal to set up an innovative Personal Rapid Transit System (PRTS) from State Assembly to Paradise Metro station in Hyderabad.

State Municipal Administration and Urban Development minister KT Rama Rao on Thursday met Union minister of Housing and Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum to the latter seeking central assistance to take up the PRTS project. The PRTS envisages use of cable cars or pod cars for transporting small group of passengers from one place to another. The pod or cable cars will carry four to eight persons. Currently, the PRTS facility is operational at Heathrow airport in London and two other places.

The TS government is proposing the PRTS to cover 10 km distance. The corridor will integrate with different transport systems like Metro Rail at Assembly station, Paradise and Khairtabad and MMTS at James street station and Khairtabad station. Indian Port Rail and Railway Corporation Limited is consultant for preparation of feasibility study and Detailed Project Report for the above corridor.

KTR urged the union minister to provide standards, specifications and legal and other regulatory framework and help the Telangana Government to proceed further in developing the project. A special committee has already been constituted under Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to formulate and recommend standards and specifications for PRTS in the country.

Under the PRTS, automated vehicles are operated on a network of specially built corridors. The capacity of pod cars or cable cars is 4 to 8 passengers only. After boarding a pod car, passengers have to press the destination station button on the dedicated corridor and the system transports the pod car to the station automatically.

The State MA and UR minister also appealed the union Minister to consider extending financial support of Rs.2,850 crore (one-third cost) under AMRUT for the phase one of STP project taken up at the cost of Rs 8,648.54 crore in Hyderabad.