Gateway Of India To Navi Mumbai In Just 40 Minutes: Maharashtra Government Plans To Launch Water Taxi
The proposed water taxis will operate between the Radio Jetty at the Gateway of India and Navi Mumbai Airport.
The Maharashtra government is planning to launch a water taxi service between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai soon. Once launched, the eco-friendly travel mode will reduce the travel time between the twin cities significantly.
The service will link key locations across both cities, offering the residents a fresh alternative to traffic congestion and supporting environmental sustainability. The expected journey time through this proposed water taxi is likely to be around 40 minutes.
Currently, it takes more than one hour for the commuters travelling from Mumbai to the Navi Mumbai airport site through the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL).
According to officials, the water taxis will operate between the Radio Club Jetty in Colaba, which will be developed soon, and Navi Mumbai Airport.
Meeting Held To Discuss Water Taxi In Mumbai
Maharashtra Minister for Ports Development and Fisheries Nitesh Rane, on Monday, chaired a key meeting for the proposed electric boats in Mumbai. The officials have been instructed to initiate planning for the water taxi services. They are expected to soon come up with proposals for building jetties at the required locations.
Additionally, the Airport Authority of India has also been asked to submit proposals to obtain the required approvals for the project.
During the meeting, it was discussed that the terminals for the proposed water taxi will be constructed in phases. Additional Chief Secretary of the Transport, Ports, and Civil Aviation Department, Sanjay Sethi, was among the key members present at the meeting.
"We also plan to integrate the water taxi service with the Mumbai Water Metro, which will help people commute faster between Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). It will significantly reduce travel time, decongest traffic, and be environmentally friendly," the minister said, according to an NDTV report.
Earlier in 2022, a similar initiative was launched for the twin cities from Belapur Jetty by the central government. Now, the proposed water taxi will be operational between Radio Jetty at the Gateway of India and Navi Mumbai Airport.
The Belapur jetty, constructed at a cost of Rs 8.37 crore, was financed through a 50-50 funding model as part of the Sagarmala initiative by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. It remains to be seen which funding model the Maharashtra government will adopt for the upcoming project.
