The Hindu

MANGALORE, Jul 20: The budgetary announcement for the feasibility study of monorail for Mangalore and Udupi has come as a surprise to many in the two cities.

Mangaloreans have been seeking a mass rapid transport system all along — sky bus in particular — but there hasn’t been a similar demand from Udupi.

While the temple town has a population of a little over one lakh, Mangalore is home to over six lakh people, and is considered an emerging cosmopolitan city with Information Technology job seekers from all over the country residing there.

The announcement was a surprise also for Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) president Kumble Narasimha Prabhu. According to him, sky bus is more suited for Mangalore as it could be erected on pillars along the roads occupying very little space on their edges. It was also the cheapest system, he said.

Both sky bus and monorail are elevated systems and run on electricity. The difference is that the sky bus coaches move like a cable car, suspended from rail guides above, whereas monorail moves over a beam on rubber tyres.

Chairman of KCCI’s Large Industries Sub-Committee G. Giridhar Prabhu views the announcement as recognition of future needs of the growing city for a mass transport system. This system would propel city’s growth besides accommodating the increasing needs of the travelling public, he said.

The mass rapid transit system is being sought for the outskirts of the city rather than the busy central parts. The proposal is to connect education hub in Mudipu Ammembal region in the south of Mangalore and Haleyangadi which is nearly 25 km from Udupi. The proposed sky bus will cover a distance of 40 km.

Mr. Giridhar Prabhu, former KCCI president, who had mooted the concept more than three years ago, said the Government would have to study transport dynamics while preparing pre-feasibility report. Sky bus and monorail proponents would have the option of presenting their case before the expert committee, he added.

He said the sky bus was preferred to monorail for Mangalore because it was indigenously developed by Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) which was running a prototype of the concept in Goa.

It could be constructed at a cost of Rs. 85 crore a km, Mr. Prabhu added.

The KCCI had told the State Government during the Governor’s rule that the sky bus system would cater to people of all classes, and it would transport 1.5 lakh commuters in peak hours. The KCCI called it an “Indian technology for Indian conditions.”

The KRCL had offered to organise a demonstration of the sky bus system at Madagao station for the State Government representatives and citizens.

It had suggested that the feasibility survey be assigned to KRCL as it had the expertise.