Karnataka is examining elevated pod-based transport for Hampi and other high-footfall tourism destinations, with a government delegation studying Sharjah’s String Transport system as a possible alternative to expanding roads and acquiring more land.
A delegation led by Energy and Tourism Minister KJ George inspected the elevated transport system during a visit to Sharjah. Officials are assessing its engineering, passenger capacity, safety systems, operations and ground-space requirements before deciding whether the technology can be adapted to Karnataka.
The proposed system would move passengers above ground in automated or pod-based vehicles, leaving most of the land below available for existing uses. A senior Tourism Department official said the objective was to create a transport network that could provide movement within large tourism zones while reducing pressure to acquire land for roads and related infrastructure.
Hampi has emerged as one of the possible locations for further study. The UNESCO World Heritage site is spread across several hectares and includes historically and environmentally sensitive areas. According to the Tourism Department, an elevated system could be examined in places where visitor congestion and last-mile movement create pressure to widen roads or build extensive ground-level transport corridors.
The proposal is also being considered in the context of Karnataka’s growing popularity as a domestic tourism destination. Officials said the state’s hill stations, tourism sites on the outskirts of cities and other sprawling visitor hubs could be assessed for similar mobility requirements. The focus, however, remains on selected destinations rather than a statewide rollout.
The government has not approved construction of the system. The Sharjah visit is being treated as an initial assessment, and the Tourism Department plans to examine geography, tourist footfall, passenger capacity, construction costs, maintenance requirements, safety and financial viability before identifying suitable locations.
George said tourism development involved not only improving destinations but also ensuring that visitors could reach them easily and move conveniently within them. He added that Karnataka would examine emerging global transport technologies for their suitability to the state.
Tourism Department Secretary Ram Prasath Manohar said transport systems that offered connectivity with limited land use could be useful at selected tourism destinations, but a comprehensive feasibility study would be needed before locations were identified. If found feasible, he said, the concept could change how the state approaches mobility at popular tourism hotspots.
The proposal places mobility planning alongside heritage and land-use constraints at destinations such as Hampi. Any next step will depend on the feasibility assessment covering the system’s capacity, safety, cost, maintenance and suitability to Karnataka’s geography.
