Operation of ‘Podway’ as alternative public transport mulled

Kathmandu, August 26 — Easy and accessible public transport should be made available in any live city. Such service should also gain wider public trust. Nevertheless, it is difficult for the common people to access public transport services easily in the Kathmandu Valley.

Owing to the rise in population density with the increasing urbanization, the number of people using private vehicles has also gone up. But, it is difficult for citizens to use public vehicles in the federal capital.

Although the road has been expanded, private vehicles, including two-wheeler are forced to endure long and annoying jams in the busy roads in Kathmandu.

It may be noted that the government has adopted various measures for the management of public vehicles. Yet it has not been implemented effectively. Efforts to bring big vehicles into operation have also not yielded significant results.

Although the concept of metro rail was mooted in the Kathmandu Valley for the management of public vehicles, it could not be implemented due to technical and financial difficulties.

In order for the government to discourage the rising use of personal vehicles, there are feasible ways for the operation of podways as the most appropriate technology.

It is claimed to be the newest and most quality technology ever. Most of the local governments in the Kathmandu Valley have expressed willingness to operate the podway.

Vice-chair of Kathmandu Podway, Nil Bhattarai, said that they have initiated efforts to operate the podway with the aim of providing transport service to the common Nepali people in an accessible manner by eliminating the challenges, inconveniences and its weaknesses in the public transport sector of Nepal. According to him, this measure has also been included in the policy, programme and budget of the current fiscal year.

In some places, a request has already been made to carry forward the feasibility study and preparation of detailed project report (DPR).

In particular, podway is a technology based on wire (cable). It is said to be another and state-of-the-art form of cable car. In other words, it is also the latest and state-of-the-art structure of the train. It has been considered as a new technology developed in the field of public transport. According to Bhattarai, the podway can be operated easily within the existing ring road if the government grants permission.

For this, there is an urgent need for the government to make legal arrangements for the operation of transportation services of this kind.