The Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath is all set to introduce pod taxis to the people of the state as the taxi will be connecting commuters from Greater Noida to the Noida International Airport located in Jewar. Pod taxis are a popular driverless mode of transport in many western countries and can accommodate four to six people per car at a time. To extend the connectivity to remote areas, the Yamuna Expressway and Eastern Peripheral Expressway will soon be signing an agreement with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
BJP MLA Dhirendra Singh, who represents Jewar in Greater Noida, has said that metro connectivity is already there till Greater Noida. However,Jewar is about 25 kilometres away from the city and to bridge this gap, pod taxis are being considered. He also added that pod taxis are a revolutionary mode of transport.
According to the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), the pod taxi service connecting Greater Noida and Jewar International Airport will be developed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and a detailed project report (DPR) on the same will be presented soon. Rs 50-60 crore per kilometre is the estimated cost of the pod taxi project.
On February 17, 2021, Jewar Airport on its Twitter handle had shared a small video and had captioned itwriting, "Noida International Airport model on display at the UP Diwas 2021."
#NIAirport model on display at the #UPDiwas2021, 24th January. @jewar_airport pic.twitter.com/wm3q9ugbft— Jewar_Airport (@jewar_airport) February 17, 2021
Two major expressways are connecting the upcoming airport in Jewar to date — the Yamuna Expressway and Eastern Peripheral Expressway, which connects northern and southern areas around the national capital region.
Zurich Airport International AG (ZAIA) received the approval of the UP cabinet for the development of the Jewar Airport in the month of December last year.
Arun Veer Singh, who is the CEO of YEIDA, had informed that the upcoming airport is easily approachable through roads from Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and a large area of Uttar Pradesh. And to reduce the travel time and make a hassle free travel experience, pod taxis are being worked upon.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has in 2016 said that a pilot project involving Metrino Driverless Pod Taxis will connect Delhi and Haryana at a cost of Rs 800 crore.