Thane: Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Tuesday proposed to introduce a cable vehicle system in Mumbai and its adjoining areas to alleviate traffic congestion. Sarnaik on Tuesday took charge of the ministry at his office in Mantralaya, the state secretariat, in south Mumbai.

Talking to reporters, he said he will take steps towards giving a new identity to the state transport systems by turning them profit-making and efficient. “This is my vision,” he said.

There is a need to prioritise both road and air transport services in the state to make it a leader on these fronts, he said. He proposed to roll out several people-friendly initiatives, like concessions for senior citizens and women.

Sarnaik said he plans to introduce 15 to 16-seater cable vehicles in the MMR to alleviate traffic congestion on the lines of Bangalore’s ropeway transport system.

“The Bangalore model will be studied and a detailed project report will be prepared and sent to Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari,” he said.

The bus depots of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will be modernised like those in Gujarat. The passenger services in Karnataka are also state-of-the-art, he said.

“Efforts will be made to emulate the good practices in other states and implement them in Maharashtra,” the minister said. The air passenger transport services will establish Maharashtra as the top state in the country, he noted.

The ministry will implement these initiatives in phases, according to Sarnaik. He said tough decisions will be taken to streamline the MSRTC operations.