Even after failing to execute a number of mass rapid transit schemes in the past few years, the state urban development department last week floated the dream of running SkyTran in Patna - a technology which is not operational anywhere in the world as of now. This is not the first time that such an ambitious project has been floated out of the blue. The Telegraph presents a reality check on several ambitious public rapid transport schemes in Patna, which the government has failed to materialise.

Metro rail

The work on metro rail project is progressing at a snail's pace. Indian Railways, in March 2009, appointed RITES as technical consultant for examining the feasibility of metro rail. Though the railways had proposed the feasibility report for running two corridors of metro rail as a feeder to Patna Junction but the state government simply sat on it.

Later, the urban development department assigned the task of preparation of a fresh detailed project report (DPR) for Patna metro rail project to RITES in July 2013. After another two years, the DPR was given an in-principle approval by the cabinet on January 9 this year. The approved DPR is awaiting technical and financial assistance from the Centre as of now as it entails a huge outlay of around Rs 16,960 crore.

Mono rail

Apart from metro rail, Indian Railways was also asked to prepare a feasibility report for mono rail as well in 2009. However, RITES had turned down the feasibility of running mono rail in Patna because of large population of the city and requirement of bigger mode of transport.

Pod cars

Amid the confusion over feasibility of mono or metro rail, Prem Kumar in April 2013 announced that the government is contemplating to run pod cars in the city as well. With a UK-based company coming to the government with the proposal for running the pod cars, the Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (Buidco) asked the company to first come up with a study of the state capital's transport system and then float the idea in accordance with the same.

Sky bus

Sky bus was probably the mother of all public rapid transit dreams for Patna floated by the Nitish Kumar government. A service, which is still to be made operational across the globe, was given positive consideration by the confused urban development department in 2013.

This was the time when the state government was considering all possible options, including metro, mono, pod and sky bus. "The sky bus is a new entrant but the government is focusing more on metro and the mono rail. Either one or both the services will start in Patna. But then the feasibility of the sky bus will also be studied," Prem had said in April 2013.

JNNURM buses

Operation of city service buses seems difficult for the state government. Total 260 buses sanctioned by the central government in 2009 utilising funds to the tune of Rs 45 crore. Five-and-a-half years later, the first lot of 20 buses equipped with closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and global positioning system (GPS) were flagged by Samrat on August 15, 2014.

Sixteen months later, AB Grain Spirits Pvt Ltd, the transport wing of Adie Broswon, which was operating the buses, withdrew its services owing to non- payment issues. Following the withdrawal of services by Adie Browson, Buidco handed over the buses to BSRTC in December last year. Only 70 buses are running on the city streets at present but many of them are lately developing snags owing to poor maintenance.

Ganga driveway

A brainchild of Nitish conceptualised in the early years of his first term as chief minister, he wanted it be developed on the lines of Yamuna Expressway. Nitish had laid the foundation stone of the Rs 3,160-crore project at the starting point, Digha Ghat (near rail-cum-road bridge), on October 11, 2013. The work came to a standstill within six months as the government failed to acquire the required land.

Though the land acquisition has been resolved but the project keeps getting stalled for various reasons including rise in the water level in monsoon or the recent sand crisis. Sources claimed that not more than 30 per cent of the construction work has been completed till date though its deadline October 2017.