The National Highway Authority of India is finally breaking ground on a new personal rapid transit system (PRT), which will see compact pod taxis coming to Gurgaon. The pod taxis will be suspended from an overhead guided rail and will have a capacity to carry 5 passengers at any given time. There will also be an option to hire an entire pod personally. These suspended pods will have an average speed of 60Kmph while commuting.
Reports suggest that NHAI is in the process of inviting bids from international developers for the project. The Pod-PRT taxis, part of project Metrino, will cover a 13 KM strech starting from the Guragon-Delhi border, going all the way to Sohna road. Initially, 16 pod taxi stations are being planned along this route and it is predicted that one of the first stations will come up near Ambiance mall in Gurgaon. The estimated cost for the completeion of the project is projected to be around Rs 850 Crore.
According to various news reports, NHAI officials are estimating a year's time to build the pod PRT system, after the contract is awarded to the best bidder. NHAI is keeping its options open and is also looking at a Skyrail system to combat heavy traffic situations in Gurgaon.