NEW DELHI: For easy commuting in the Walled city area, Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC), the nodal agency executing the Chandni Chowk beautification and pedestrianisation project, has resolved to explore possibilities to ply ‘less-costly’ public transportation like battery-operated carts.
Senior officials, who attended the SRDC board meeting on Tuesday, said that members decided that given the crammed roads and congestion in the area, a more ‘viable’ option should be looked for. “The mode to be introduced should not be ‘cash-intensive’. The minister urged the officials concerned to check feasibility of slowing moving electric vehicle or electric-cart,” said an official.
PWD minister Satyendar Jain, who is also the chairman of SRDC board, chaired the meeting. The government had earlier pondered to introduce conventional trams and electric trams in the Walled City but shelved the both ideas citing high infrastructure cost.Last week, the SRDC moved a proposal to run ‘trackless-trams’ in the area, mentioning their low cost and easy to install technology. The proposal was discussed in Tuesday meeting but the minister directed to tweak it to a ‘smaller’ and ‘slower’ mode of transportation according to the ‘need’ of the area.
“It was felt that trackless tram was too big and fast for the area. The minister asked to pick a type of vehicle, which is smaller and slower, that can actually run in the area. If stoppages are at every half kilometre or short distances, then there is no point of bringing a rapid or high speed trams,” said the official. Trackless trams are electric vehicles which run on asphalt or concrete roads. They are zero emission and powered by lithium-ion batteries, which can be rapidly charged.
‘Trams too big and fast’
One of the officials who attended the SRDC board meeting said that SRDC chairman and PWD minister Satyendar Jain didn’t seem convinced with the ‘trackless-trams’. “He wanted more ‘feasible’ alternative. It may be trackless,” he said, adding that the minister had asked to study further and re-work the proposal.