PTI
Mumbai
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the driverless Pod taxi project, an automated rapid transit system (ARTS) being developed between Kurla and BKC in Mumbai, to provide last-mile connectivity for daily commuters.
Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar were present at the function along with the Chief Minister at the Diamond Garden metro station in Chembur.
Fadnavis said that all necessary approvals for the project have been received.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is executing the pod taxi project between Kurla and Bandra Kurla Complex to provide last-mile connectivity to the biggest business district in the financial capital.
The 8.85-km ARTS is expected to boost last-mile connectivity when it is developed in phases, MMRDA officials said.
The project route will have 22 air-conditioned stations spaced at intervals of about 200 metres, with Phase I covering a 3.36-km stretch between Bandra (East) and Kurla.
The system will connect key locations like LBS Marg, Kalanagar, and BKC, linking Bandra and Kurla suburban railway stations.
The driverless, AI-based pods will run on battery power along a dedicated guideway, each carrying up to six passengers at a maximum speed of 40 kmph with a headway of 15 seconds. The pods will stop only at stations selected by passengers, enabling faster and more efficient travel.
The project will be implemented on a public-private partnership basis without any financial burden on the state government or MMRDA, while still generating revenue for the authority.
The system will integrate with Metro Line 3 at BKC and with Metro Line 2B at ITO and IL&FS stations, strengthening the city’s multi-modal transport network. A depot is planned at the RLDA plot in Bandra East to support operations.
Officials said the pod taxi system is expected to reduce traffic congestion, cut travel time and promote eco-friendly mobility, with a projected daily ridership of over 1.09 lakh passengers by 2031.
Addressing the function, Fadnavis said the pod taxi project has been planned in such a way that passengers travelling to Kurla or Bandra won’t be required to use any other public transport.
“A person alighting either from the metro or a suburban train will not be required to use another mode of public transport thereafter. He can reach within a distance of 100 to 150 metres by this pod taxi,” he said, adding that the project will completely decongest the BKC.
