MUMBAI, April 20 -- Bandra-Kurla Complex, always portrayed as an upscale global business centre, has a major issue: its completely inadequate public transport system. A large part of the transport woes stem from the illegal shared autorickshaws, over which the authorities have little control. Sources in MMRDA said that one of the reasons for introducing the elevated pod taxi in BKC was to tackle the unregulated shared auto rickshaw service (the licensed one began in 2010, and illegal shared autos soon took over). While complaints have largely fallen on deaf ears so far, starting this week, the RTOs and traffic police will carry out a major drive to control the shared autos. Entering the shining commercial district of BKC is virtually impossible without a private vehicle. Regular meter-based autos barely ply from the two closest railway stations at Bandra and Kurla, and the situation outside the Metro 3 Aqua Line is no different. A state transport department official admitted that they were aware of the shared auto rickshaw menace to and from BKC. "We will be sending our teams to Bandra (E) and Kurla (W) railway stations to identify the fares charged, to check if the regular stands are maintained or have been damaged and look for illegal share auto stands," he said. MMRDA and MMRCL authorities had made provisions for auto rickshaw stands outside the BKC Metro 3 station exits. Citizens complain that illegal shared auto stands have come up here too, which again charge Rs 30 and refuse to ply by the meter. RTO sources said there were around four shared auto stands in BKC that were given permission in the past, including outside the two railway stations. However, many illegal stands have come up outside offices and malls inside BKC's G Block. At the railway stations, shared auto drivers charge Rs 30-50 per seat for BKC during peak hours. There are boards installed outside the station premises but the fares are barely visible. Auto Rickshaw unions have been flagging the problem of the BKC shared autos, which overcharge and run illegal shared auto stands to prevent regular autos from plying. "We will give the authorities whatever help is needed," said trade union leader Shashank Sharad Rao. "The illegally plying shared autos to BKC are a menace." There are around 4,000 to 6,000 autorickshaws running on a shared basis to BKC. Of these, there is no actual count of illegal autos. Sources said that of the total 2,80,000 autos in Mumbai, around 30,000 autos were illegal. Auto union leader Thampy Kurien said that many autos did not have a fitness certificate, were in a rickety condition and their drivers lacked the necessary documents." MMRDA officials said that the BKC shared auto rickshaws were causing problems for other transport projects in BKC. The Automated Rapid Transport System, popularly known as the pod taxi, is their attempt to touch every corner of BKC and slowly replace the shared autorickshaws. The bhoomi pujan or ground-breaking ceremony of the pod taxi system happened earlier this month. By 2031, the country's first pod taxi system is projected to ferry 1,09,000 passengers daily. This Rs 1,016-crore pod taxi system, running for 8.8 km, will, according to MMRDA officials, clear the traffic bottleneck inside BKC. It will have 36 stations located at an average distance of 200 metres apart, and the pods will operate every 15 seconds. At present, BKC handles a daily footfall exceeding 400,000 to 600,000, comprising over 200,000 to 400,000 daily office-goers and visitors. A V Shenoy, member of the Mumbai Mobility Forum, pointed out that the last-mile connectivity from the pod taxis could again be an issue. "What is the guarantee that shared autos do not come up below the pod taxi stations?" he asked. "Moreover, there are at least two metro rail lines and the bullet train station in BKC, which will also require last-mile connectivity." Transport experts believe that the government should restart the bicycle lanes and dedicated bus lanes in BKC as a good alternative for last-mile connectivity. These had begun with fanfare, but share-auto rickshaws reportedly hijacked the space and killed the projects. The government spent Rs 20 crore on asphalting and fixing bollards on the road for dedicated bus lanes and even procured 25 hybrid AC buses. The 3.5-km dedicated bus lane in BKC was launched in early 2016 to ease traffic and reduce travel time. Sources in BEST said that it proved successful initially. "However autorickshaws began encroaching on this lane, damaged the plastic bollards and rendered the dedicated lane unusable," said a BEST official. The dedicated bus lane was eventually discontinued in late 2018. In 2011, the Rs 60-crore BKC cycle track project, a 13-km network, was launched. "This was certainly made as per global standards," said cycling enthusiast and Mumbai's first bicycle mayor Firoza Suresh. "However rampant encroachment by auto rickshaws and other vehicles made it unusable." Sources in MMRDA said that many shared auto drivers began parking their vehicles in these bicycle lanes. The bicycle track underwent a Rs 25-crore refurbishment in 2021, but in August 2025, the MMRDA dismantled it....