Printed from Sky Bus, not Metro, tailor-made for Indian cities: Inventor 9 Feb 2010, 1319 hrs IST, IANS Topics: Metro rail Konkan railway 15 rail technologies sky bus NEW DELHI: The Sky Bus is tailor-made for congested Indian cities and is a safer and better option than Metro Rail, according to B Rajaram, inventor of the Sky Bus and former managing director of Konkan Railway. Significantly, Rajaram, who developed the Sky Bus — a twin-coach module that combines the strength of a steel coach with the flexibility of a bus — said he did it "at a tiny fraction of what it would have cost the government to develop it, which is anywhere between Rs 500 crore and Rs 800 crore". The biggest advantage of a patented technology like the Sky Bus is that it remains the most cost-effective alternative at Rs 60-75 crore per route km as compared to Rs 215 crore for the Metro and Rs 400 crore for the underground Metro, at current costs, according to available data. The Sky Bus can potentially carry six million passengers daily, or 80,000 hourly, in any direction. "The Sky Bus pre-fabricated structure, unlike Metro Rail, which requires heavy infrastructure and huge capital, can be superimposed on existing roads, without altering their set-up or dislocating traffic, anchored by pillars raised on dividers," Rajaram told IANS in an interview. It also frees authorities of the necessity of land acquisition, excavations and construction that clog and choke city arteries. What's more, said Rajaram, the project barely takes 24 months to commission against the five to seven years required by Metro systems. "Integrating 15 rail technologies, Sky Bus turns the conventional approach on its head by reversing the position of the carriage and the wheels. The upside down configuration actually leverages gravity to bind the carriage wheels and the tracks inseparably in an enclosed concrete box, eliminating the possibility of either derailment or capsizing," he said. "The system has already been granted worldwide patents and approved for mass implementation by German Tuv Rheinland, internationally renowned for technical-viability testing for aviation and transportation projects like magnetic levitated railways." Handling passenger volumes is only one aspect of the Sky Bus. Another variant, the Sky Con, can be integrated with ports, railways and roadways, to accelerate loading and unloading of containers on ships 10 times faster than existing systems worldwide, he added. A technical panel constituted by the central government and headed by Indiresen, former director of IIT, Madras, had concluded that the technology was "not tested" — which has become a major hurdle in its implementation. Ironically, Indiresen also observed: "If very strict standards that some want to apply in this case (Sky Bus) had been applied in the case of Stephenson's Rocket Engine, the world would never have seen railways at all. We cannot live on borrowed technology for ever and should learn to develop our own inventions and, for that reason, learn to place confidence in Indian technology." "Why single out the Sky Bus as 'untested'," asked Rajaram, "when a 'tested technology' like Metro Rail has been involved in a spate of accidents, injuring more than 200 people. Derailments and collisions over the past decade have also claimed 1,300 lives. Does it follow that train travel be outlawed as unsafe though the technology is proven? "Similarly, were 'high-tech' Germany coaches disowned after uncoupling four or five times at low speeds within 20 days of their being introduced on the Lucknow-New Delhi Shatabdi Express in the late 1990s?" Rajaram asked. Another panel headed by former president APJ. Abdul Kalam — as then prime minister's principal scientific advisor — had certified the technology as being safer than railways. Sky Bus can be designated under the Tramway Act instead of the Indian Railway Act, since it moves along existing roads. Sky Bus is also included in the draft Metro Rail Act by the urban development ministry.

Letter to Smt Sonia Gandhi : India can have most modern metro rail transport without destroying property and NIL viability gap funding in 100 cities-performing better than Delhi metro!


B. RAJARAM BE., M.Tech., IRSE (Retd.) FIE., FNAE
DIRECTOR, Atri Knowledge Embedded Infrastructure Lab.P.Ltd.
Inventor & Mentor Anti-collision/Skybus Technolgies ( Fmr. MD/ Konkan Rly)
Flat 205, 2-2-15, B9, Bindu Prestige, DD Colony, Hyderabad 500007
Tel:+91 40 6454 5659 Tel.fax:+91 40 2740 0365 www.atrilab.com

To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle.
Confucius
Chinese philosopher & reformer (551 BC - 479 BC)
Dear Madam,

Sub: Why not 100 metro rails in 100 cities of India at no cost to State? That is what India can have with Skybus Metro Rail!

As an engineer of the country and inventor having assigned my patents to people of my country, I am unable to stop writing to you, even though there has been no response to my earlier letters. It is because I know what is right for urban transport, it is matter of principle that our country’s technology is not sabotaged by the petty procurement specialists, however much highly placed they are in the government.

To remove the confusion that the so called technical experts chosen by our smart bureaucrats, to put down Skybus, the safety tests I already conducted and proven- I would like a simple proposal of mine to be considered.

Officially allow a Sate government to call for tenders to put up a metro rail with no viability gap funding from the state, but with the same performance and safety requirements applicable to standard metro rail in the world, but with additional requirement that the railway shall be derailment proof and coach shall never escape railway track and capsize, ( better than any world class metro rail) , which could be similar to Konkan Skybus metro, (as an example.) The bidder shall first construct one kilometer model section, prove that the international safety standards and safety requirements for train control as applicable to metro rail in India, are met with, providing an independent Safety certificate from an organization of impeccable reputation in the world, say similar to TUV Rheinland or Lloyds UK rail, based on which the Commissioner appointed by the State will issue the certificate for operating under the Indian state law,( either metro rail rules or Tramway Act). If successful, the bidder will have right to construct and operate the metro rail system for a period of 30 years. No viability gap funding will be provided by the state, but right of way all along existing routes and other facilitation in terms of permissions, taxes, notifications and enabling rules for operation will be made.

If the bidder fails to get the certification, then the structure so constructed shall be useful to the state as a flyover, providing at least 3 lanes fit for cars, autos, two wheelers. When successful, the stretch forms part of the total route length.

By encouraging the Indian technology, like Skybus, India will gain:
1. Save government funds from urban transport- provide the same for water supply and sanitation of the cities
2. Provide in 100 cities metro rail transport- not just one or two
3. Indian industry will get fillip and will compete in international market as leaders of advanced technology in metros
4. Base will be laid then to change the way we construct sea ports and airports
5. Almost Rs 100,000 cr infrastructure can be developed, without government loans or funding in urban transport.
6. As no urban property will get dislocated, the government will not incur the wrath and tears of those who lose habitats and businesses as it is happening now in the name of metro rail.
7. Be Indian and be proud as the leader of technology, NOT a mere procurer!

What are the risks?
1. Untested technology and not proven- public safety state has to assure, is the refrain of the bureaucracy and their chosen consultants- refusing to understand the oscillation test results, demonstrated at Goa. Be as it may, the risk to state is now removed, because only if the model stretch satisfies the safety standards, and gets certified under law, public transport will be allowed.
2. If it is so good some advanced country like USA. Germany should have done this system, earlier- and attempts are made to compare with rubber tyred system- while Skybus is rail based system. This also makes no more sense now that risk is transferred to the bidder.
3. Capacities and performance concerns are raised- but again these are commercial risks for the operator- any way the model stretch will demonstrate these requirements. There is no risk for the state.
4. The right of way given over the kilometer will be wasted, when the technology fails, and so state will have an unwanted ugly civil structure- but now that it can be still used as a flyover, this objection has no basis now.

I am deeply concerned that Government of India has spent Rs 50 cr and tested the Skybus on test track and proved the only point to be confirmed- the dynamic behaviour of suspended coach successfully- but the country is denied the benefit of the technology. It is a mere design case of using the same railway technology, but procurement specialists are making it look like a complex research project.

The benefit of patents I got for the country are being denied to the people and you will agree, it is reprehensive. My prayer is that if in spite of this proposal of mine, Government is unable to use and wants to just delay use of technology for people, then, it is better the patents may be returned back to me- I will use the rights in setting up the new Skybus technology based metro rails outside India, so that others may benefit.


With best wishes and regards,


Yours truly,


B.Rajaram
7th Oct. 2007


To

Smt. Sonia Gandhi
President Indian National Congress
New Delhi