Improve infrastructure at Terminal to enable start of services: Water taxi operators to port trust

Even as they have been in frequent talks with the Port authority with their demand, the latter has been insisting that the services be kicked off first, Sohel Kazani, a water taxi operator, said.

India’s first water taxi service was inaugurated in Mumbai in February 2022 by then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal. (file)

Water taxi operators in the city have written to the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) over lack of proper infrastructure at Ferry Wharf-Domestic Terminal. Even as they have been in frequent talks with the Port authority with their demand, the latter has been insisting that the services be kicked off first, Sohel Kazani, a water taxi operator, said.

“Services can only be commissioned from Ferry Wharf when proper amenities are in place. The last-mile connectivity is poor. BEST buses are running at a time gap of 40 minutes from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus bus depot to Ferry Wharf Dockyard. Moreover, the shared cab facility is also poor. This all will cause inconvenience to the passengers even as they wish to use the water taxi from Ferry Wharf,” Kazani said. The operator said the Ferry Wharf is centrally located which can save the passengers a lot of time unlike Gateway of India, which requires one to take a taxi or bus to reach the spot.

Pointing out another issue, Kazani said the Domestic Cruise Terminal is regularly rented out for wedding functions. “Passengers cannot off-board in the middle of the wedding venue. All these issues should be resolved,” Kazani said. “The steps from where passengers can get into the water taxi are not properly constructed. During high tide, the steps submerge under water completely leading to slippery surface. In such a case, how can the passengers’ safety be ensured? Time and again these issues have been raised,” Kazani added.

Meanwhile, the MbPT has written a letter to the water taxi operators to begin the service from the Ferry Wharf, said an official.

India’s first water taxi service was inaugurated in Mumbai in February 2022 by then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal. The water taxi was launched on three routes: Belapur to Ferry Wharf – the Domestic Cruise Terminal, Belapur to Elephanta Caves, and Belapur to JNPT. Of these, service was only commissioned for to and fro rides from Belapur to JNPT, and Elephanta.

The water taxi service from Ferry Wharf to Belapur could not begin due to last-mile connectivity issues with the location. Water taxi operator said that only one of them has started the service from Ferry Wharf to Belapur and that too only on full booking charter service basis.

The operators are now waiting for an official letter from the MbPT to begin the service from Gateway of India to Belapur, which is expected to draw some footfall.

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A return journey ticket From Belapur to Elephanta costs Rs 750 per person. The cost is Rs 500 between Belapur and JNPT. The operators are witnessing 70 to 80 per cent occupancy on each trip on these two routes.
According to MbPT, the cost of ticket – Rs 1,210 – is also another deterrent in way of passengers wishing to travel from Ferry Wharf to Belapur.

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