Maharashtra Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Friday announced that the pod taxi service will link Thane Mira-Bhayandar and Navi Mumbai, and the Bhoomi pujan (groundbreaking ceremony) for project will be held within 6 months, reported the PTI.
Pod taxis form part of a Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system, in which fully automated, driverless electric vehicles run on elevated tracks, carrying small groups of passengers.
Speaking at an event marking the death anniversary of Thane’s first mayor, Satishchandra Pradhan, Sarnaik stated that preparations were progressing and the ceremony would take place soon.
The first pod taxi corridor is planned to link Thane, Mira-Bhayandar and Navi Mumbai, creating a modern rapid-transit link across the region.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier stated that the pod taxi system would help provide last-mile connectivity and ease the burden on existing transport networks.
In September this year, CM Fadnavis had announced that pod taxi services will soon be introduced to reduce the burden on the city`s existing public transport infrastructure, news agency PTI reported.
During a high-level meeting on the project earlier, CM Fadnavis had highlighted that the service would play a vital role in easing congestion in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) corridor, which is expected to witness a sharp rise in commuter traffic with the development of a bullet train terminal and the upcoming new Bombay High Court building in the vicinity.
The meeting was held at Sahyadri Guest House at Malabar Hill, and attended by senior officials, including Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, MMRDA chief Sanjay Mukherjee, and senior IAS officers from transport, urban development and home departments. Presentations on the project’s feasibility and potential were given by Mukherjee and Bharti.
CM Fadnavis had also emphasised on the need to integrate pod taxis with Mumbai’s upcoming unified smart card system for seamless travel across all transport modes.
He had also directed officials to develop the Kurla and Bandra station areas in tandem with the project and to ensure direct connectivity between BKC buildings and railway stations through dedicated pod taxi routes.
The state government believes pod taxis could help strengthen Mumbai’s transport to provide better last-mile connectivity, especially in the busy Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) area, where there is high footfall.
(with PTI inputs)
