Name: Abhishek Gogoi

Guide: Dr. Sugandh Malhotra

Course: Mobility and Vehicle Design

Credits: RTO department of Guwahati, The Trekker Association of Guwahati

Design of a Public Commuter Vehicle for Guwahati

Over the years in Guwahati city, one of the popular means of transportation called ‘trekker’ has been a great boon in connecting the city. However, with recent development taking a giant leap, government has launched a fleet of 400 buses and established new taxi/cab rules. The trekker service has seen only minor changes and it still fails to address the concerns of overcrowding of the vehicle. This project deals with an in-depth research in finding the acute problems faced in the trekker segment, solving and redefining it from grounds-up, updated to the current aesthetic and safety norms that ply on roads globally, keeping the routes of Assam preserved.

The project started with an intensive online as well as field research to understand the transport system that functions in the city premises, the various means of transportation, the advantages and disadvantages of each of the different modes. Also to understand why the trekker system was introduced in addition to the city buses, auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws. Although the trekker system has been a boon, it has received flak from the public too. The issues, the criticisms, along with the benefits of the system. All of these were analysed first.

“Tata Sumo is widely used as trekker vehicle. This serves the purpose to complete solution. However when we look at the vehicle original structure, it was never meant to carry a dozen passenger as we can see on the roads of smart cities. Vehicles are overloaded with passengers.
To get in the groove and find the solution, the first thing was to understand the vehicle and similar transportation system both in local and the global arena. “

After the Design Brief is set, this is the final stage of the design process that involves coming up with as many solutions as possible. Right from ergonomic solutions and limits to interior packaging of the vehicle and exterior styling. Free the mind, free the soul. However it should all adhere to the brief set.