Kerala gives nod to personal rapid transit system

The Kerala cabinet Wednesday gave the nod for the formation of a new company, based on private-public participation, to set up a state of the art personal rapid transit system, which is increasingly popular abroad and now is to be implemented in major India cities.

Speaking to reporters here after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the entire cabinet witnessed a presentation on this mode of new age transportation.

“(State-owned) INKEL will present a detailed project report on this at the earliest and we have given the in-principle approval of the presentation that was made. This mode of transport runs on an elevated passage and a small car that can carry a maximum of six passengers can run on this track. Initially, this would be implemented in the capital city,” he said.

Chandy noted that a near similar project which runs also on an elevated passage but on ropes would be set up in Kottayam and would touch up to Pamba (the base camp of the famed Sabarimala temple).

“There would be another one to Bharananganam (the abode of Saint Alphonsa). Here this is a very fast mode of transport and one unit can carry two passengers,” he said.