Haryana plans pod taxi system to connect two airports between Chandigarh and Mohali

Chandigarh, India (Urban Transport News): The Haryana Government has proposed a next-generation cost-effective Pod Taxi/Personalised Rapid transport (PRT) transport system to provide the shortest and most effective connectivity between the old Chandigarh Airport and the new International terminal located in Mohali. The estimated cost of this project would be Rs 231.5 crores.

The proposal was recently submitted to Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal by the Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Limited at a meeting convened by Chandigarh Administrator Banwarilal Purohit and attended by senior officers of Haryana and Chandigarh at the Punjab Raj Bhawan. On implementation of the system, it would cut down on the long road travel, which residents of the Tricity besides neighboring states have to undertake at present.

"The Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Limited (HMRTC), a wholly owned company of the Haryana Government under the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran, had proposed the pod car system to connect the old terminal with the new one, which was cost-effective, convenient and required only six acres along the airport boundary. The ownership of the land would remain with the IAF," said Sanjeev Kaushal, Chief Secretary.

"77 pods were initially envisaged to be put into service to ferry passengers as well as goods. It would be a secured guided transit system with two stoppages. Pods could not be forcefully stopped midway and thus addressed any security concerns," he added.