Water Taxis Reducing Travel Time Between Gateway Of India And Navi Mumbai To Launch On September 22

The Maharashtra government is all set to roll out new water taxi services to reduce travel time between the Gateway Of India and Navi Mumbai. Starting from September 22, this service will help ease traffic congestion in the city. The water taxi service will offer a faster, cleaner, and more comfortable commute between the Gateway of India/Mumbai Ferry Wharf and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA). Currently, if you have to cover this route, you can choose wooden boats that charge Rs 100 per passenger and take over an hour to cover the distance. In comparison, the new electric boats will cut travel time to within 40 minutes.

Sohel Kazani, owner of Bharat Freight Group (BFG), which will manage the operations, explained that two water taxis will be introduced in the first phase, reported Free Press Journal. In the second phase, four hydrogen-powered boats will join the fleet once generators are in place.

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New Water Taxis Are Energy Efficient And Comfortable

Of the currently launched water taxis, one is a hybrid vessel powered by solar, electric battery, and diesel backup, while the other is fully electric. Both of these can be charged in less than an hour.

The boats are made of fibre and glass with a European design. They are energy-efficient and also provide greater stability and comfort. The electric boats will also help reduce pollution and benefit the environment.

BFG also plans to expand the service beyond JNPA with additional routes connecting South Mumbai to Elephanta Caves, Belapur, Alibaug, and harbour tourism circuits. In a previous meeting, Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane said, "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."

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 India's First Water Taxi Launched In 2022

Previously, in February 2022, India's first water taxi service was launched between South Mumbai and the satellite city of Navi Mumbai. The water taxis brought down the travel time to 45 minutes from the earlier 90 minutes between the Navi Mumbai area and mainland Mumbai.