Mumbai: Pod taxi service to be launched for easy commute to Bandra-Kurla Complex

The Maharashtra government Tuesday announced that a pod taxi service will be launched to ease commute to the business hub of BandraKurla ComplexThe Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority MMRDA has approved a pod taxi service on the 88 km route between Bandra and Kurla railway stations the chief ministers office said in a releaseWith a capacity of six passengers each the pods will run at the speed of 40 km per hour and will have 38 halts it statedThe project will be implemented on a publicprivate partnership basis and will ease the commute to BKC from the two railway stationsMaharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shindersquos office posted on X ldquoPod taxi will run between Bandra and Kurla station through BandraKurla complex and its distance is 880 km Thats it It will have 38 stations It has a capacity of six passengers per pod Maximum 40 Km The Chief Minister mieknathshinde today approved the launch of this project on a PublicPrivate Partnership basis which will have a speed of 1 hour per hour This project will help make the journey from Bandra station to BKC more convenientrdquoMeanwhile the civicrun Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport BEST undertaking has revised its bus pass rates from March 1 the BEST undertaking said on ThursdayThe revised rate of the daily and monthly unlimited journey pass will be Rs 60 and Rs 900 respectively up from the existing Rs 50 and Rs 750 the citys premier road transport entity said in a release The bus pass rates were revised to overcome the problem of loose change avoid the insecurity of daily cash handling facilitate passengers to avail the undertakings scheme and to increase income an official saidNo change has been made in the rate validity and unlimited number of journeys of student passes that cost Rs 200 and the Rs 50 concession in various bus passes for senior citizens excluding weekly passengers has also not been changed the release said In this revision the types of bus passes have been reduced to 18 from the existing 42 discontinuing other types of passes Only three types of bus passes namely weekly monthly and unlimited can be availed from March 1 instead of existing daily weekly monthly fully flexible plans pass and unlimited journeys pass the release informedThe existing single day passes that are valid for two four and 10 journeys and fully flexible plans passes that are valid for 10 30 and 50 journeys during an 84day period have been discontinued as per the releaseIn the revised plans BEST undertaking has kept the bus pass value as per the four fare slabs of Rs 6 Rs 13 Rs 19 and Rs 25 for daily weekly and unlimited journey passes it saidAs per revised rates the minimum value of a weekly bus pass with a validity of seven days and 15 journeys will be Rs 70 instead of the earlier Rs 59 and the maximum value will be Rs 350 instead of earlier Rs 299In the existing bus pass plans the minimum value of a pass was Rs 9 for a singleday pass valid for one day or two journeys and the maximum was Rs 1499 valid for 28 days or 150 journeys As per the revised bus pass plans the minimum pass value will be Rs 60 for an unlimited number of journeys in one day and the maximum pass value will be Rs 2700 for 28 days or 150 journeys the release saidThe release said BEST had revised the bus pass rates in less than a year as the existing rates came into effect on April 7 2023 A spokesperson said till date BEST has issued 1040965 closed loop cards through which bus passes are issued BEST which operates buses in the metropolis and adjoining areas in Thane Mira Bhayander and Navi Mumbai ferries 25 lakh passengers everyday With inputs from PTI