Work on new highway to Jaipur, pod taxi to begin early next year

GURGAON: Work on India’s first pod taxi service between Delhi and Gurgaon will start in the next three months, Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Sunday.

Gadkari also said that work on a new access-controlled highway between Delhi and Jaipur will start by January next year. The highway, to be built along NH-8 at a cost of Rs 16,000 crore, will cut travel time between the two cities by four hours, Gadkari said.

T he minister made the announcement after laying down foundation stones for new underpasses and flyovers in Gurgaon at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium complex in Sector 38.

“Tenders for pod taxi project have been floated. The concessionaire is expected to be finalised shortly and work will commence in three months. The pilot line of 12.3 kms from Delhi-Haryana border to Subhash Chowk will be ready within three years,” Gadkari said.

He said he discussed the modalities of the project for three hours with representatives of “Japanese firms” at his office on Saturday. Gadkari did not disclose the name of the firms.

The pod taxi project (also known as personal rapid transport system), in its pilot project will have a 12.3 km track from New Delhi-Haryana border to Subash Chowk via Rajiv Chowk on Sohna Road. It will later be extended to Dhaula Kuan and Manesar on each side. The project is being built on a ‘design, build, finance, operate and transfer’ basis (DBFOT).

Explaining the advantages of the new highway project, Gadkari said the 270-km, six-lane, greenfield expressway between Delhi and Jaipur will cut travel time between the two cities by four hours.

“The distance of 270 km between Delhi and Jaipur will be completed within two hours instead of six. The feasibility report is being reviewed and land for the project will be acquired shortly,” Gadkari said.

The minister also urged Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who was present on the occasion, to promote development on both sides of the new highway to reduce cost.

The project has been in the pipeline since 2008 and was to be completed by 2011.

The proposed expressway will start from the south side of Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi and end at Daulatpura, near Jaipur, on National Highway-8.