Two operators have expressed interest in helping the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) implement Pod Taxis between Bandra and Kurla in order to relieve traffic in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). Applications from Chennai-based Refex Industries and Hyderabad-based Sai Green Mobility Pvt Ltd have been received, according to MMRDA officials.
“We’ll review the submitted bids. Pod taxis will be introduced and the elevated line will be built by the final contractor. According to a senior MMRDA official, the agency will suggest the fares, which the MMRDA will then accept after careful consideration.
The project, which received MMRDA approval in March, will cover 8.8 kilometers via BKC between Bandra and Kurla. Suspended from an overhead rail, the autonomous pod taxis have the capacity to accommodate five or six passengers apiece. The electrically powered ropeway-like apparatus zips 8–10 meters above the ground. At predetermined stations, the pods descend and ascend to receive and release people. The taxis will stop at 38 locations, including the US Consulate, the National Stock Exchange, Diamond Bourse, Kalanagar, MCA, and other areas of BKC, and operate at a speed of 40 kmph.
The project is estimated to cost somewhat more than ₹1,000 crore, and once the contractor is chosen under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, building of this corridor is anticipated to take at least 24 months. The concession period for the contractor’s operations will be 30 years, with an additional 30 years granted if necessary. The MMRDA authorities are expected to get ₹1 crore every year.
With more than 4.5 lakh people visiting BKC every day, there is an unprecedented need for improved connectivity and effective transportation options. At the moment, commuters who use the route from BKC to Kurla and Bandra train stations have to endure exhausting commutes that can take up to an hour, and buses that are too packed to provide a reasonable option. The BEST busses carry at least 75,000 passengers to BKC each day.
Source: Hindustan Times
