Will Delhi Soon Have Flying Buses? What Minister Nitin Gadkari Said
New Delhi:
India is actively working on revolutionary public transport systems, including flying buses and ultra-modern electric buses, to ease traffic congestion, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said.
"We are working on connecting Dhaula Kuan to Manesar through a pod system in the air, as there is a lot of traffic on that route," Mr Gadkari said in an interview with the news agency ANI.
A similar feasibility study is also underway in Pune.
#WATCH | When asked about 'flying buses', Union Minister Nitin Gadkari says, "...We want to start a pod system in the air from Dhaula Kuan to Manesar because there is a lot of traffic on this road. We are doing the same study in Bengaluru. In Uttarakhand and Kashmir, we are… pic.twitter.com/HGvaL8ZFz8
— ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2025
"We want to make public transport easier," the minister said.
How Will Flying Buses Work?
The concept of flying buses in India refers largely to aerial pod-based transport systems, a form of Personal Rapid Transit (PRT). These are small, automatic electric vehicles that run on elevated tracks, either hanging from rails above or riding on top of them.
They work like on-demand taxis, meaning you can call a pod, and it will take you straight to your destination without stopping along the way. Each pod can carry around two to six people.
Some models used in other countries, like SkyTran, can reach speeds of up to 240 kmph using magnetic technology.
Electric Buses Also In Works
Mr Gadkari also shared that his ministry was planning a double-decker bus-like system that travels from one mountain to another in states like Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir.
"These are part of our efforts to make public transport more efficient and accessible," he said.
The ministry has also launched a high-capacity electric bus project in Nagpur. This 135-seater electric bus is equipped with flash-charging technology and will run on the city's ring road.
"It will have 135 seats, executive class seating, a TV in front, and a top speed of 120 kmph," Mr Gadkari said. "The bus will stop every 40 km, passengers will get off and on within 30 seconds, and in that time, the bus will also get charged."
The buses will also have "bus hostesses," similar to air hostesses on flights, the minister revealed. Fares for these futuristic electric buses are expected to be 30 per cent lower than diesel buses.
Once the Nagpur model is rolled out successfully, the government plans to expand this service across key corridors: Delhi-Jaipur, Delhi-Chandigarh, Delhi-Dehradun, Bengaluru-Chennai, and Mumbai to Nashik and Pune, he said.
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