Hyderabad Plans Driverless Pod Taxi Network to Connect Metro Stations, IT Corridor and Secretariat

Hyderabad is considering a 40.82-km Personal Rapid Transit System (PRTS) network featuring driverless pod taxis to improve last-mile connectivity between metro stations, the IT corridor and the Secretariat. Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) officials presented the project’s technical and financial feasibility report to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at the Secretariat on Friday. The government is considering implementing the project through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. After a three-month study, consulting firm Lee Associates evaluated network options of 44.62 km and 56.98 km before recommending a hybrid network combining the proposed routes.

The proposed network comprises four corridors: Kukatpally–Raidurg (7.62 km), Raidurg–Knowledge City (12.83 km), Raidurg/HITEC City–Financial District (14.01 km) and Secretariat–NTR Marg (6.36 km). The plan targets 34.66 km by 2030, 39.36 km by 2040 and completion of the entire network by 2050. Daily ridership is projected to reach 5.42 lakh in 2030, 15.47 lakh in 2040 and 20.31 lakh in 2050. Hyderabad’s existing 69-km metro network currently carries around five lakh passengers daily. However, the project’s total cost, passenger fares and construction timeline have not yet been announced. Mumbai’s 8.85-km pod taxi project in the Bandra-Kurla Complex, estimated at ₹1,016 crore under the PPP model, is currently under construction.