174 Families to Be Rehabilitated for BKC Pod Taxi Project as Terminal Work Advances

Mumbai, 4th July 2026 : The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will rehabilitate around 174 families to facilitate the construction of terminal stations and related infrastructure for the ambitious Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) Pod Taxi Project.

According to an MMRDA ground survey, 128 structures have been identified on a plot adjacent to Bandra railway station, where the Bandra terminal is planned. Most of these structures are slum homes, while five are commercial establishments.

In Kurla, authorities have identified 46 structures, including chawls and slum dwellings, along the stretch between Kurla railway station and the police housing colony. The area has been earmarked for the Kurla terminal station and a skywalk that will connect commuters directly to the railway station. Officials said additional structures could be affected if extra space is required for an escalator, with the survey still being finalised.

A joint verification of the survey is currently being conducted by the MMRDA’s transport, survey and social development departments.

“Once the verification is completed, an annexure of the affected structures will be prepared. After rehabilitation tenements are identified, allotment will be done through a lottery,” an MMRDA official said.

Officials stated that all structures existing at the time of the baseline survey will be eligible for rehabilitation under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) II, under which the pod taxi project is being implemented. Eligible families will receive 269 sq ft rehabilitation homes. While the MMRDA is exploring rehabilitation options in Mumbai’s western suburbs following residents’ requests, some families are expected to be relocated to Kurla.

Despite construction beginning at select locations, land acquisition for the two terminal stations remains underway.

At Bandra, the terminal will be developed on a 4,000-square-metre plot owned by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) next to the railway station. Although in-principle approval for the land transfer was granted in March, the formal agreement is yet to be signed.

In Kurla, the terminal is proposed on the existing police housing colony near Bhabha Hospital. The redevelopment plan includes constructing the pod taxi station on the lower floors while providing new police housing above it. Although the police department has agreed to the proposal, the state government is yet to issue the necessary resolution.

The first phase of the pod taxi project will cover 3.36 km with eight stations and is expected to be completed by the end of 2028. Initially, the Bandra and Kurla sections will operate independently before being integrated into the 8.85-km BKC pod taxi network, aimed at improving last-mile connectivity across the business district.

The pod taxi system is expected to offer commuters a faster, automated, and environmentally friendly mode of transport, strengthening connectivity between major railway stations and the Bandra Kurla Complex.