Flying buses in Delhi? Gadkari details mega plans that promises to transform public transport

Union minister Nitin Gadkari

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari promised a major transformation in India’s public transport landscape with flying buses and ultra-modern electric vehicles leading the way to beat the country’s perennial problem of traffic congestions.

During an interview with ANI, Gadkari said, "...We want to start a pod system in the air from Dhaula Kuan to Manesar because there is a lot of traffic on this road. We are doing the same study in Bengaluru.”

Moreover, a feasibility study is already being carried out in Pune, he said, adding that the aim is to make public transport “easier”.

The minister also revealed that the government is working on a plan to connect one mountain state with another via double-decker electric buses. These buses will come with a host of features and will have a seating capacity of 135.

“In Uttarakhand and Kashmir, we are working to connect two mountains using a double-decker bus. We have also started a flash-charging electric bus in Nagpur with 135 seats,” Gadkari said.

The minister further revealed that the new buses will have an executive class and TVs in the front. The buses, which will run in Nagpur first, will have a maximum speed of 120 kmph and stop for 30 seconds every 40 kms.

“The bus will get charged in 30 seconds and will start again...The bus will be less expensive because it will require less battery power...We will start the same buses from Delhi to Jaipur, Delhi to Dehradun, Bangalore to Chennai."

What are flying buses?

Flying buses are a form of personal rapid transit system based on aerial pods, which are small and electric and function on on-demand basis.

These pods usually run on elevated tracks and can carry 2-6 people to the destination without making any stops, with the possibility of touching a speed of 240 kmph.