Maha govt announces Pod taxi service for easy commute to biz hub BKC

Mumbai, The Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced that a pod taxi service will be launched to ease commute to the business hub of Bandra-Kurla Complex. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has approved a pod taxi service on the 8.8 km route between Bandra and Kurla railway stations, the chief minister's office said in a release.

Pod taxis are small automated cars that operate on a network of specially built guideways.

With a capacity of six passengers each, the pods will run at the speed of 40 km per hour and will have 38 halts, it stated.

The project will be implemented on a public-private partnership basis and will ease the commute to BKC from the two railway stations.

The project on the busy Bandra-BKC-Kurla route is expected to cost Rs 1016 crore, an MMRDA official said.

A reputed consultant has conducted the techno-economic feasibility study for this Automated Rapid Transit System.

"It will take three years to build the Advance Rapid Transit System after receiving all the necessary permissions," the official said.

He said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has given his approval for issuing a tender for POD taxis on the route.

Every day, more than 4 lakh passengers travel to BKC for work, and as per the feasibility report, 1.09 lakh people are expected to use the POD taxi service by 2031, the official added.

"Daily 1.09 lakh passengers are expected to travel on these POD taxis by 2032 and the estimated per km travel cost is Rs 21 per kilometre. This (POD Taxi) will not only help people who will get down at BKC, but it will also provide first and last-mile connectivity in the stretch," said the official.

MMRDA is the regional planning and executing body for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region that includes some areas in neighbouring Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts along with Mumbai.