Water Taxi Connecting Navi Mumbai To South Mumbai Will Start Service From January 2022
With an aim to provide hassle-free connectivity between South Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, the Maharashtra capital will soon have a water taxi service.
According to reports, the water taxi service from the Domestic Cruise Terminal at Ferry Wharf and the terminals at Belapur and Nerul will be launched from January 2022, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Though water taxi service has been proposed for Mumbai for decades, it has never been materialised.
The current project is a joint initiative by the Mumbai Port Trust, Maharashtra Maritime Board and CIDCO. The private companies, Infinity Harbour Services LLP and West Coast Marine. An organization of the wooden boat owners at the Gateway of India also has the license to operate the water taxis.
12 routes
There will be 12 water taxi routes with eight links from the domestic cruise terminal Bhaucha Dhakka (Ferry Wharf) to Nerul, Belapur, Airoli, Vashi, Rewas (near Alibaug), Karanja, Dharamtar and Kanhoji Angre Island. The other four routes are Belapur to Thane and Gateway of India, and Vashi to Thane and Gateway of India.?
Additionally, it will ferry to Elephanta Caves from the International Cruise Terminal at Mazgaon.
According to reports, the water taxi service will operate from 8 am to 8 pm, every day and the frequency will increase as per the demand after the initial testing.
The water taxis are expected to reduce the travel time significantly, bringing much-needed relief to the people of Mumbai.
It is estimated that the traveling time from Mumbai to Elephanta and JNPT will take 15 minutes. Mumbai to Belapur, Nerul, Vashi and Rewas will take 25-30 minutes.
Initial reports suggest that the fares from Domestic Cruise Terminal to Navi Mumbai will be between Rs 1,200-1,500 per passenger and to JNPT will cost around Rs 750.
In October 2020, India¡¯s first water taxi service was launched in Kerala by the State Water Transport Department (SWTD).
In 2019, a water taxi was proposed between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh through River Yamuna.
In the first phase, the service will be provided in the upstream portion of the Wazirabad Barrage, including three other locations - Sonia Vihar, Jagatpura and Tronica City. The ferry ride will cover the 16-kilometre stretch from Sonia Vihar in Delhi's Wazirabad to Tronica City in Ghaziabad, in about 45 minutes.
The Central Government will spend Rs 28 crore for this project - this includes the cost of building terminals and that of vessels.
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