Mumbai is all set to get a new transportation solution as water taxi services will begin in the city in January 2022, as per a recent report. Planned for quite some time now, the water taxi services aim to provide hassle-free connectivity between South Mumbai and Navi Mumbai from the Domestic Cruise Terminal at Ferry Wharf and the terminals at Belapur and Nerul. The report further states that the routes have been allotted by the government, including International Cruise Terminal to Elephanta, Domestic Cruise Terminal (DCT) to Rewas, Dharamtar, Karanjade, Domestic Cruise Terminal to Belapur, Nerul, Airoli, Vashi, Khanderi Islands and Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT), to various operators.
DCT to JNPT will reportedly be one of the most sought-after routes, given the high influx of commuters from Navi Mumbai to the South, which is a major commercial district in the city. The water taxis should help ease the load on the local train services, particularly the Harbour line. At present, there are no other transportation options between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai apart from the road and rail.
At present, the M2M ro-ro car ferry connects Mumbai with Alibaug, while smaller boats do offer commuters water taxi services
The report states that the water taxi services could begin as early as the first week of January 2022 and will have three operators, to begin with. A fourth operator is expected to join in a period of 2-3 months. With respect to the fare, the report suggests that fares from Domestic Cruise Terminal to Navi Mumbai will be between Rs. 1,200-1,500 per passenger. Meanwhile, the fare to JNPT will be around Rs. 750.
The water taxis will take about 30 minutes to complete a single journey, which will significantly lower the commute time between the roughly 30 km stretch. Water taxi services will be operational throughout the year barring during heavy rains. Moreover, the plan is to increase have a higher frequency between mornings and evenings.
Source: Indian Express
