India, Feb. 14 -- Deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde on Friday directed civic bodies in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to formulate plans for starting pod taxi services to bridge gaps in last mile connectivity.

"Commuters currently depend on rickshaws or buses to travel from their homes to railway stations and metro stations, and from there to their workplaces. This creates congestion and frequent traffic jams," Shinde told officials during a detailed review meeting on pod taxi services across MMR.

Pod taxis would help increase the use of metro services and reduce private vehicles on road, he said, and directed municipal corporations to prioritise starting the same; he also urged corporations to seek assistanc...