Mumbai gets its first water taxi service under Sagarmala programme

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, virtually inaugurated the water taxi service for residents of Mumbai on Thursday. A first for the maximum city, the service launched from the newly constructed Belapur Jetty will provide an alternate connection between the twin cities of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.

This fulfils the long pending demand for utilisation of the country’s financial capital’s long coastline to expand public transportation options for the city’s more than 2 crore residents.

“The Sagarmala Programme has undertaken a range of projects across an array of categories such as port modernisation, rail, road, cruise tourism, RORO (roll-on/roll-off) and passenger jetties, fisheries, coastal infrastructure, skill development. Total 131 projects worth Rs 1.05 lakh crore have been identified for implementation in Maharashtra,” Sonowal noted in his address during the flagging-off ceremony.

The water taxi service will commence from the Domestic Cruise Terminal (DCT) at Mazgaon. Nearby locations of Nerul, Belapur, the Elephanta Island and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) will also be connected by the service.

“The Maharashtra coast has huge potential for urban water transportation, which can become an alternate mode of transportation. ROPAX (roll-on/roll-off passenger ship or ferry) movement between Mumbai Ferry Wharf and Mandwa has resulted in a positive impact with a reduction in travel time for passengers, quick and agile loading and unloading process of vehicles.” Sonowal added.

Already, over 32 ROPAX projects have been undertaken in the four clusters of Palghar, Mumbai & Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

A joint initiative by Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT), City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), the service will provide comfortable, efficient and eco-friendly transport to commuters.

The construction of Rs 8.37 crore Belapur jetty was funded in the 50:50 model under the Sagarmala programme. The jetty will also facilitate the movement of vessels to locations like Bhaucha Dhakka, Mandwa, Elephanta and Karanja.