Is 'Podway' transport an option to reduce traffic jams?

Businesses compete to increase the number of public vehicles, but there is no competition to deliver passengers to their destinations on time. What could be its alternative? "An electric powered podway can be an alternative," says Neel Bhattarai, who lives in Sarlahi Hariwan and is living in Kathmandu. Infrastructure experts also argue that the number of public vehicles is too high and it is time to find an alternative.

Also, Neil has been running the campaign of podway service operation for 5 years in the relevant ministries and departments. But he alleges that the concerned agencies are ignoring it. 'Today's need in Nepal is sustainable, reliable and accessible public transport,' he said, 'the development of the country cannot be imagined without it.' "It is a technology that has been studied and proven by Belarusian scientist Anotoli Unisky after 40 years," he said. "It has been put into operation in Belarus and Dubai." It can be built in hilly areas with less population. Even if there are few passengers, it can be a convenient option to bring the goods produced in those places to the city market and to take the daily consumption goods needed in the village from the city. He said that a preliminary study has been done and a report has been submitted so that 100 kilometers of podway can be operated in 13 municipalities of Kathmandu Valley.

Kathmandu Podway Company was registered in 2019. Bhattarai is the vice president of this company. John Peter Wall of Canada is the Honorary President. 'Podway is a compact and composite version of rail,' he said, 'it can be operated automatically through AI technology.' It can accommodate 40 to 42 passengers. He says that one podway does not go closer than 50 meters to another podway. He claims that it can be made at four percent of the cost of metro rail. "Radio wave, GPS, GLONASS satellite, intranet are connected to it," he said, "so Podway is a technology suitable for our geography." He also said that it is possible to start this technology in all provinces at once. According to him, a 231 km podway can be built from Surkhet in Karnali to Limy in Humla. Similarly, Koshi region has also been proposed for study. "We have done a preliminary study and explained to the Karnali government," he said, "if a podway can be built in this place, humla, apple, marsi rice, potatoes, pulses produced in Jumla can be brought to Surkhet up to 200,000 tons annually."

Although Karnali has a small population, most road accidents occur here. Which causes more human losses. "That's why the state can ensure 100 shares for Podway by making it a public limited company," he said. He claims that it can be constructed at 50 percent less cost than the cost of building the West Electric Railway. He said that it can be put into operation in 4 to 5 years after the construction starts without the problem of compensation.

Bhattarai told that since the podway is in the wire system, the pole distance can be kept up to two km and there is no need to put a station in between. "Because of this, the construction period has been shortened, the cost has been reduced," he said, "there is no need to build a single bridge, this is a micro rail." "After starting it as a pilot project in one place, it can be started in all seven provinces," he said. "There should be some percentage of the government's share in it, there can't be public transport without the government," he said.

'Because it will be attractive, domestic and foreign tourists will also be attracted after the construction,' he said He said that it can be kept here. "The steel industries of this region can also make podway walking sticks," he said. What were the problems in the previous transportation, all those problems have been solved and this technology has come. It can be built on top of existing roads and flowing rivers. It runs on a wire 20 meters above the ground. "It can be easily connected from one hill to another in hilly areas," he said, "it can be built at a height of 15 meters in Kathmandu, the height will be reduced in the airport area, where there will be a 7-meter pole." He claims that it can also carry containers up to 48 tons. It was published in the gazette on November 7, 2080 to make a procedure about Podway.

Eastern Urban Development Minister Metmani Choudhary has been raising the issue of the necessity of putting Podway into operation as an alternative form of transportation at a time when traffic accidents are increasing in the House of Representatives meeting. Transport expert Ashish Gajurel says that there is no alternative to improving public transport. "Due to the lack of improvement in public transport, we have to invest a lot in the construction and improvement of road infrastructure," he said Transport expert Gajurel suggests that when government data shows that more than a thousand people will die, the road can be operated using its own electricity. "Podway can be operated with electric energy," he said, "If this can be done, petrol and diesel will also be consumed less, as soon as public transport becomes organized and fast, the attraction of private vehicles will decrease." This will reduce accidents and business losses of the government. "That's why new technology comes, we have to go slowly," he said, "the next option can be Podway."