Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State (I/C) for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, chaired a meeting to review the Urban Water Transportation projects for Mumbai, Maharashtra. Senior Officials of the Ministry, Chairperson of Mumbai Port and officials of Maharashtra Maritime Board and other stakeholders were present in the meeting.
To promote eco-friendly waterways transportation and reduce the traffic load of crowded Mumbai city roads, 4 new routes for ROPAXferry services and 12 new routes of Water Taxi are planned to be operational by December, 2021.
Currently, ROPAX ((roll-on/roll-off passenger) service from Bhaucha Dhakka(Ferry Wharf) to Mandwa (Alibag)is successfully operating by reducing the road journey of 110 km to about 18 km by using waterways, thereby reducing travel time of daily commuters from about 3-4 hours to merely one hour. After the huge benefits being reaped of this ferry service, similar services are planned to be operational at various other routes in Mumbai.
Opening up of 4 new routes of ROPAX Ferries and 12 routes of Water taxis is going to prove a big boon for daily commuters of Mumbai. It will result in a pollution-free, peaceful and time-saving journey as well as reduce the travel cost and carbon footprint significantly. It would also cater for the requirements of increasing number of tourists and commuters at various stretches of Mumbai city.
Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State (I/C) for Ports, Shipping and Waterways stated that operationalization of new waterways routes is a big step towards Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of harnessing waterways and integrating them with the economic development of the country.It will open up new opportunities and avenues to create an ecosystem and network of such ROPAX services and Water Taxi services at numerous other routes in all coastal states.
