After the Bandra-Kurla Complex, Maharashtra's Transport Minister, Pratap Sarnaik, wants to introduce the innovative driverless Pod Car transportation system in the Mira-Bhayandar region.
During his recent visit to Vadodara on Monday, Sarnaik toured a Pod Car test and experimentation center, which is being developed as part of India's 'Make in India' initiative.
Sarnaik shared his enthusiasm for the project, particularly in the context of the Pod Car system in Mumbai. He highlighted that the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) business district was already making progress with its Pod Car system, which had been sanctioned by former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. “The second Pod Car project of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) will soon be granted permission for Mira-Bhayandar and surrounding areas, which is expected to greatly improve urban mobility and provide an efficient, modern mode of transportation for daily commuters,” Sarnaik said.
According to Sarnaik, the new system, designed to provide a sustainable and efficient solution to the ever-growing traffic congestion in urban areas, could revolutionize public transportation in densely populated cities.
The Pod Car system, also known as Personal Rapid Transit (PRT), operates with small, automated, and driverless vehicles that travel along dedicated tracks, bypassing congested road traffic. The environmentally friendly vehicles can carry up to 20 passengers and travel at speeds between 60 to 70 km/h, making them ideal for crowded urban areas.
Sarnaik emphasized the potential of the system to transform urban mobility, noting that if successful, the Pod Car system could set a model for other Indian cities to adopt similar automated transit solutions, reducing pollution and easing pressure on overburdened transportation networks.
Additionally, during his visit to Gandhinagar, Sarnaik also explored a Bus Port developed by the Gujarat Road Transport Corporation, an innovative concept aimed at streamlining bus services. Impressed by the efficiency of the Bus Port and Gujarat’s integrated command and control system, Sarnaik instructed state transport department officials to study these models and consider implementing them within the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation.
"With both the Pod Car and Bus Port concepts on his radar, Sarnaik’s efforts underscore a strong push for modernizing Maharashtra’s transportation infrastructure, ensuring that it meets the challenges of urbanization while being environmentally sustainable," said an official from the state transport department.
