Pod taxis planned to decongest BKC

The driverless pod taxi is a public transport system, which presently operates to connect local business districts or airport terminals in West Virginia, USA; Rivium, Netherlands; Abu Dhabi, UAE; Heathrow airport, in the UK and Suncheon-si in South Korea

MUMBAI: Travellers to the business hub of Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), notorious for traffic snarls and cunning autorickshaw drivers who overcharge, will in the near future have the option of another mode of transport – the pod taxi. In an internal meeting on Tuesday, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) approved the project on an 8.8-kilometer stretch between Bandra and Kurla via BKC.

Pod taxis planned to decongest BKC

The driverless pod taxi is a public transport system, which presently operates to connect local business districts or airport terminals in West Virginia, USA; Rivium, Netherlands; Abu Dhabi, UAE; Heathrow airport, in the UK and Suncheon-si in South Korea.

Pods are suspended from an overhead rail; each has the capacity to carry up to five to six passengers. The ropeway-like system runs on electricity and zips along 8-10 metres above ground. The pods descend and ascend at designated stations to pick up and drop passengers.

The project was last discussed in early 2017 following which it was put on cold storage. At the time it was planned at the cost of ₹50 crore per kilometre though currently the MMRDA has not stated the revised cost. The pod taxi system will be developed under a public private partnership (PPP) model. Employees of multinational companies, commercial office spaces and government offices will benefit from the initiative. “It will cover areas such as the US Consulate, suburban stations of Kurla and Bandra, the National Stock Exchange, Kalanagar, MCA and BKC connector,” said an official from MMRDA.

The taxis will run at a speed of 40 kmph with 38 stops. According to MMRDA officials, it is a part of their plan to decongest BKC. “This will be similar to share autos with consistent frequency,” added another MMRDA official.

The elevated stations are likely to be designed close to the commercial buildings and will not take much space. Sources said with Metro line 2B and Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train project coming up, the plan is to offer a smooth transition to these modes of public transit.