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Goa may get India's first Skybus network >From Indo-Asian News Service Mumbai, Jan 2 (IANS) India's first Skybus project, involving buses on rails hanging above the ground, may go on stream in one of India's hottest tourist destinations, Goa. This was announced Thursday by the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL) which is promoting the over Rs.3.5 billion project. The project will be funded by the central government. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave it the nod during his vacation in Goa this week, KPCL said in a statement. The first phase of the project would see state capital Panaji connected with the commercial town of Mapusa, 12 km away. In the next phase, Panaji would be connected with the posh Dona Paula neighbourhood, a distance of seven kilometres. "The concept, developed by the Konkan Railway Corporation, is an interesting and innovative approach to deal with the challenges of urban mass transportation," Vajpayee said in a statement released by KRCL. This concept should be implemented on a pilot basis on a small scale, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office and quoted by KRCL. "I endorse this view," Vajpayee said, adding: "The state government wishes that Goa be considered for the experimental project". The Skybus is installed hanging on rails, which are placed nearly two meters from the ground. The infrastructure for the Skybus would be installed over road dividers on existing roads, as a result of which no land acquisition is required. Supporters of the project say traffic on these roads would not be disturbed. The coaches would be air-conditioned and would have automatic sliding doors. The stations would be located eight metres above the ground and can be accessed by stairs and elevators. According to sources, the distance between stations would be small to increase accessibility. There would be buses every two minutes and the operations would be handled from a control room. The Skybus would travel at an average speed of 45 km an hour. Each bus would carry around 125 passengers. An average fare of 15 paise per km has been calculated at present rates. Freight transport has been proposed at night when passengers are fewer. According to KRCL officials, the central government has cleared the Skybus proposal for implementation in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. But governments in states like Maharashtra are keen on having an underground railway system for big cities like Mumbai along the lines of the Delhi Metro, which was inaugurated last month. --Indo-Asian News Service WANT TO check out which mailing lists you could subscribe to? Send a blank email message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ========================================================================
