Two years after the state government announced the Metro as the answer to the city’s traffic woes, it is yet to decide the most favourable mode of mass rapid transit system (MRTS).

Apart from Metro, monorail and sky bus are the main options on the government’s platter as of now.

Earlier this year, a UK-based company approached the state with an offer of bringing the Podcar, a public transport service in use in UK. Podcar can accommodate hardly six persons — far less than a Metro or monorail.

Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (BUIDCo), however, asked the bidding company to first submit a study of the city’s transport system and then float the idea in accordance with the same.

At present considering the sky bus service, the urban development department said construction on any one of the three forms of public transport would begin by 2015.

Urban development minister Prem Kumar told The Telegraph on Tuesday that a tender for the feasibility and economic survey of all the three projects would come out this month and one would be selected.

“The department would float a tender regarding the feasibility and economical survey this month. We are considering all three modes of transport, the Metro, the monorail and the sky bus to run on four routes initially. Once selected, the agency would get six months to submit the report. Thereafter, a detailed project report will be drawn up according to the report. Another tender for the construction of the project would be floated. The department would take at least two years to prepare the detailed project report, as the project is huge and ambitious. By 2015, the construction would start certainly,” said minister Kumar on the sidelines of the Water and Sewerage Investment Opportunities Conclave organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

On why the state government was still undecided on which mode of transport is suitable for Patna, the minister said a study was important though things had been planned.

“The sky bus is a new entrant but the government is focusing more on Metro and the monorail. Either one or both the services will start in Patna. But the feasibility of the sky bus would also be studied,” said the minister.

While the Metro plies in cities such as Calcutta, Delhi and Bangalore at present, the monorail service is set to start in Mumbai by August this year for which the trial runs are on. Though the sky bus service is not present in the country, several states are considering the introduction of the same.

Sources said the sky bus service stood slim chances in the race of having an MRTS system in the city.

“Though there is still some confusion, the latter half of this year would be decisive. The Metro or the monorail or may be both would be introduced. Though the sky bus service is unlikely, senior officials of the department have said that it would definitely be considered. Services such as the Metro or the monorail require electricity to run. But the present power situation in the state does not permit their launch. Chief minister Nitish Kumar has said the power situation in the state would witness a huge improvement by 2015. Hence, the construction work on the MRTS can only begin then without any hurdle,” a department official said on condition of anonymity.