Mumbai Plans Driverless Pod Taxis For BKC Last-Mile Travel

Mumbai's next big transport idea sounds like something from a future-city brochure: driverless pod taxis running on an elevated route in Bandra-Kurla Complex. The plan approved by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is meant to solve a very current problem. BKC draws huge office traffic every day, but the last-mile link from Bandra and Kurla railway stations remains crowded, slow and uneven. According to reports, the proposed system would use small autonomous pods running on an elevated track, with multiple stations and a target commuter base in the lakh-per-day range. Each pod is expected to carry a small group of passengers rather than operate like a full metro coach. If it works, the project could reduce pressure on autos, taxis and road traffic around one of Mumbai's busiest commercial zones. If it does not, it risks becoming another expensive experiment in a city already juggling metro expansion, road works and station crowding. The key questions now are cost, timeline, safety approvals, integration with existing public transport and whether commuters will find the system convenient enough to use every day.