In a bid to tackle Thane’s chronic traffic congestion, the city is set to witness an experimental automated pod taxi project between Bhayander Pada Metro Station and Vihang Hills Circle on Ghodbunder Road. The project, which aims to explore airborne transportation as an alternative to road travel, will be conducted on a pilot basis. Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced the plan during a review meeting of various civic projects in Thane.
With increasing vehicle numbers and narrow roads causing severe bottlenecks, Sarnaik emphasized that elevated transport solutions like ropeways and pod taxis will become unavoidable in the future. He referred to a similar automated pod taxi trial being conducted in Vadodara under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s guidance. During a Gujarat visit, Sarnaik had inspected this project.
A similar pilot pod taxi project has already been approved for Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) under the initiative of former Chief Minister and current Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Following this model, pod taxi services will be tested between JP Infrastructure and Shivaji Maharaj Statue in Mira-Bhayander and Bhayander Pada Metro Station to Vihang Hills Circle in Thane. The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) will provide the required space, while the entire project cost will be borne by the executing company, with no financial burden on the government or TMC.
If successful, the pod taxi network could be expanded to seamlessly connect Thane and Mira-Bhayander with the metro system using electric, self-driving pod taxis. The minister also reviewed ongoing civic projects, including swimming pools, crematoriums, gardens, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Vipassana Center, and the Lata Mangeshkar Music Academy.