What Happens When a City Is Run by Private Industry?

India is known for its hellish commutes, with traffic jams regularly reaching miles and lasting hours. And despite technological promises to make riding the railways and subways more convenient, the country’s mass transit system still needs work. So it was exciting news when local media reported last week that India is finally ready to debut its first “taxi pods,” or personal rapid transit (PRT), in the industrial city of Gurgaon.

According to The Times of India, the National Highways Authority has already laid the groundwork for an eight-mile network of driverless taxi pods, and is seeking global bids from private companies to finance and complete the project. It’s expected to be completed within a year at a cost of $128 million*, with 1,100 pod cars ferrying passengers at a speed of nearly 40 miles per hour. Each will be suspended 33 feet above the ground from an overhead network of supports, and will carry roughly five passengers directly to their destinations.