News Brief
ROPAX service.
Water taxis and ROPAX (roll-on/roll-off passenger) ferries are slated to soon become a part of India's financial capital's public transportation system. It will promote eco-friendly waterways and reduce the traffic load of crowded Mumbai roads.
According to Shipping and Waterways Ministry, water taxis on 12 routes and ROPAX ferry services on four other are expected to be operational by December.
In a review meeting of the urban water transportation projects chaired by Shipping and Waterways Minister Manuskh Mandaviya, it was decided to use water transportation to connect Navi Mumbai to Mumbai and also to start ROPAX ferries at four locations Nerul, Karanja, Mora Rewas by next December.
Since the infrastructure work has been fully completed, water taxi operations will soon start in Mumbai at 12 locations, the ministry said. It would also cater to the requirements of increasing number of tourists and commuters at various stretches of the metropolis.
With the development of urban water transportation in Mumbai, the distance between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai will be reduced considerably, and the traffic congestion on Mumbai roads will reduce sharply.
Currently, the Mandwa ROPAX service is functional, and reduces the travel time from 3 hours to 45 minutes.
Currently, ROPAX service from Bhaucha Dhakka (Ferry Wharf) to Mandwa (Alibag) is operating successfully and reduces 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 one hour.
After the success of this ferry service, similar services are planned at various routes in Mumbai.
Operationalisation of new waterways is a big step towards Prime Minister 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, Mandaviya said.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest