Design and feasibility analysis of personal rapid transit network for an Indian heritage city

Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) is a state-of-art amalgamation of automotive, computer, network and transit technologies which could prove to be very economical if properly managed. In this study, a PRT network is proposed for the city of Varanasi in India which is one of the oldest cities in the world. The study area constitutes of narrow streets having mix traffic with a predominance of pedestrians and slow moving vehicles. The proposed track connects the primary tourist and heritage spots of Varanasi to various centers of crowd generation. Proposed PRT network will provide the last mile connectivity to targeted spots which are otherwise tough to provide with conventional means of transit due to their higher need for space, infrastructure and due to a large amount of generated air and noise pollution. Various primary and secondary data were collected from different sources for efficient planning of PRT system. Travel demand assessment for PRT network was done after calculating the base year trips for the study area. Apart from capacity analysis, the financial viability of proposed project was analyzed based on financial analysis of 30 years and by calculating Internal Rate of Return (IRR). The capacity of proposed PRT network was found to accommodate successfully the net demand arise during the peak and non-peak hours. This will ensure the reduced congestion on the roads and subsequently faster movement of traffic. After the systematic analysis of various parameters and by charging a reasonable fare based on the opinion of targeted population, an optimum IRR of 17% can be gained which is excellent for any business model. This study concludes that PRT could bridge the gap between traditional modes of transit that we have inherited and transit focused urban forms to ensure fulfillment of sustainability goals