1 week ago
MMRDA Plans Independent Oversight for Mumbai Pod Taxi
Mumbai wants to build a new driverless pod taxi system between Kurla, Bandra and BKC.
The system would use small battery-powered vehicles running on an elevated track.
Each pod could carry six people and travel up to 40 kmph.
Passengers could choose their station, allowing the pod to skip stops.
The planned route would be 8.85 kilometres long and have 22 stations.
Its first phase would connect Bandra and Kurla.
MMRDA wants an independent engineer to check whether construction is safe and meets technical standards.
The project is expected to help people reach trains, metro stations and offices more easily.
Officials project around 1.09 lakh riders per day by 2031.
MMRDA plans to appoint an independent engineer to monitor construction quality and progress on the proposed 8.85-km Kurla-Bandra POD Taxi corridor.
The driverless, battery-powered system will operate on an elevated guideway under a public-private partnership without cost to the state government or MMRDA.
The corridor is planned to include 22 air-conditioned stations, with the first 3.36-km phase connecting Bandra and Kurla.
Six-passenger pods are designed to travel at up to 40 kmph, operate at 15-second intervals and stop at passengers’ selected stations.
The system is projected to serve about 1.09 lakh daily riders by 2031 and integrate with Mumbai’s metro and suburban railway networks.
- Who
- The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority plans to appoint an independent engineer for the project.
- What
- An 8.85-km elevated, driverless Automated Rapid Transit System using battery-powered POD Taxis is proposed.
- Where
- The corridor would connect Kurla, Bandra and the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai.
- When
- The report is dated August 22, 2026; the system is projected to serve 1.09 lakh daily riders by 2031.
- Why
- The project aims to improve first- and last-mile connectivity, support metro and railway interchanges, reduce congestion and provide a zero-carbon transport option.
Key facts
- Project length
- 8.85 kilometres
- Planned stations
- 22 air-conditioned stations
- First phase
- 3.36 kilometres between Bandra and Kurla
- Pod capacity
- Six passengers per pod
- Maximum speed
- 40 kmph
- Projected ridership
- Around 1.09 lakh daily riders by 2031
- Proposed fare
- Rs 21 per kilometre, based on 2022 rates
- Oversight mechanism
- An independently appointed engineer will monitor construction, progress and quality
Sources
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