Hovercraft co suspends operations

MUMBAI, Nov 20: In a gloomy portent for Mumbai's fledgling water transport service, a major hovercraft operator has suspended its services a...

MUMBAI, Nov 20: In a gloomy portent for Mumbai8217;s fledgling water transport service, a major hovercraft operator has suspended its services and has even warned of closure due to lack of adequate infrastructure and government apathy.

8220;We cannot fund annual losses of Rs 1.5 crore indefinitely. We are seriously considering closing down the service,8221; said N Y Sanglikar, a spokesperson for Triton Overwater Agency Ltd.

The last hovercraft plied between Chowpatty and Juhu beach in April this year. However, after a lengthy monsoon break, the service has not restarted yet.

Triton officials say that the service was started with the guarantee that the government would soon provide the basic infrastructure like jetties and access roads on the beaches. The agency, however, continued to ply regular services in the hope that the infrastructure was around the corner. But two years later, the government seems nowhere near providing these facilities.

8220;It8217;s like asking private airlines to build their own airports,8221; aTriton official said. It wasn8217;t the real thing yet, but operators say the success of this maiden venture could have encouraged bigger players with more services.

Meanwhile, Vishwas Dhumal, the newly appointed CEO of the Maharashtra Maritime Board MMB, has called for a meeting of all hovercraft operators next week to discuss their hardships. Contentious issues like landing points, jetties and the dredging of channels are on the agenda.

8220;It is a source of worry that a company has ceased operations,8221; Dhumal said. 8220;We will certainly want this transport to be revived and we will look for ways to keep them afloat.8221;

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He said that the thrust was to make it a segment of mass transport to move lakhs in the city and not the limited numbers as was being done today. Commuters wouldn8217;t switch over to water transport unless it was comfortable, reliable and affordable, he added.

Triton was launched in 1996 as a joint venture between SICOM, CIDCO, Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services and the MahindraGroup with each partner holding a 22.5 per cent equity stake. Hovercraft services began in November 1996 using two 50-seat British Griffon8217; hovercraft regularly plying between Juhu and Chowpatty beach. The half-hour trip ferried over 1000 passengers a day, Triton officials said.

The agency was alloted a plot of land to land its craft at Free Press Journal Marg at Nariman Point and also ran successful trial runs. However, it ran into an opposition by local fisherfolk who anchored their boats in the path of the craft. The company8217;s booth at Nariman Point was also demolished by the BMC.

The service, which was originally slated to run between Nariman Point and Juhu beach was now terminated at Chowpatty.