Konkan Rly committed to Sky Bus despite hiccups

Sky Bus""the Rs 40 crore dream project of Konkan Railways (KR), which is supposed to bring respite to travelling woes of the crowded cities of India has hit a snag, with the management trying to reschedule the dates of commissioning the project some time after October 15, its original schedule.

With enquiries coming for the project from places such as Mecca, Medina in Saudi Arabia and Syria, finishing the laboratory project in Margaon on time is essential in order to showcase the efficiency of the project.

However, with the trial sky bus hitting concrete columns in the previous week, which killed a person, the whole project has run into trouble.

With enquiries on to ascertain the cause of the accident whether it was due to human error, systems failure or design error, the regular run of the sky bus has been suspended, though work is still on to finish the tracks.

Officials of Konkan Railways said, "The sky bus project is a very prestigious one, with cities world over waiting to see the successful implementation of the project. This mishap occurred due to over-speeding and human error and has nothing to do with the design or technology flaw. However, the speed, mechanical parts and the technology for the sky bus need to be perfected before any of these deals can be made.''

"Many of the Indian cities are also interested in the project, but we will not be able to tie up with anyone till this hot-house project is completed. With the accident, the date of commissioning will have to be delayed a little. Even then we are trying to finish the details of the project by October. The first passenger run of the train will take place in Goa only. And the tourist season is the best time to inaugurate. With foreign queries pouring in, this technology can very well be a money-spinner for Konkan Railways,'' said the official.