PM Modi launches water taxi service from Mumbai in January

The water taxi, which will reduce travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, was first planned three decades ago.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the long-awaited water taxi service from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai when he visits it in the first week of January, official sources said.
The Prime Minister will also inaugurate a chemical terminal at the Mumbai Port Trust, operating from October, and conduct a ceremony to deliver another chemical terminal in the port.
The water taxi, which will reduce travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, was first planned three decades ago. It has been taken seriously in recent years as part of the Center’s waterways initiative.
A central authority and two government agencies – Mumbai Port Trust, Maharashtra Maritime Board and CIDCO – worked in tandem on the project.
MbPT has built a domestic terminal at Ferry Wharf in Mumbai, and CIDCO is in the process of completing the Belapur and Nerul terminals at Navi Mumbai.
Water Taxi will transport passengers between Mumbai and both Navi Mumbai jetties, including a stop at JNPT. Another service will run between Mumbai and Rewas in Raigad district. However, the fare is not for daily commuters.
Services have been entrusted to private operators. The price will be charged around Rs 45/min and per passenger. Sohel Kazani of Infinity Harbor Services LLP, one of the operators, said fares from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai are expected between Rs 1,200 and 1,500 per passenger, while fares for JNPT are Rs 750.
The company plans to operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for 330 days a year. Service will be suspended during monsoon. “Currently, we have 4 ships including 50-seat, 40-seat, 32-seat and 14-seat ships. Each can travel at speeds of up to 25 knots. The government has allocated routes for us including International Marina to Elephanta, Domestic Marina to Rewas, Karanjade, Dharamtar, Domestic Marina to Belapur, Nerul, Vashi and Airoli and DCT to Tro Khanderi island and JNPT”, said Kazani. Piers have not yet been built in Vashi and Airoli
“Our boat will take less than 30 minutes from DCT to Navi Mumbai, while by taxi will take from 1 hour. 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes,” Kazani said.
For the last mile connection for commuters, Kazani said there will be shared taxis at various locations including Churchgate, CST, Nariman Point, Gateway of India, DCT, Dockyard, Belapur, Nerul and JNPT. They will charge a nominal rate of Rs 20-30 per passenger on a shared taxi basis. Tickets must be booked online at watertaximumbai.com and must be reserved one day in advance.
The city previously had seaplane services connecting Gateway of India with Navi Mumbai and Girgaum Chowpatty to Juhu.
West Coast Marine’s Aashim Mongia, who has also been licensed to operate the service, said: “We have three DCT services to Kanhoji Angre Islands, DCT to Rewas Karanja and DCT to JNPT, Nerul and Belapur. We have three ships and can carry 12 to 20 people. For Mumbai JNPT we will charge Rs 800 per person and it will take up to 20 minutes from DCT and for Mumbai Belapur we will charge Rs 1,100 per passenger and it will take 35 minutes. We applied for a permit to ride on DCT Nerul road. The journey will take 30 minutes and we will charge you Rs 1000 per passenger. “