India’s first-ever water taxi connecting Mumbai's east coast with Navi Mumbai and other locations was inaugurated on Thursday, 17 February. The services are to begin from the Domestic Cruise Terminal (DCT), which will be connecting the twin cities, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, for the first time.
What is this water taxi? In which routes will it operate? How much will it cost? Here is all you need to know.
What is water taxi?
A water taxi is a small motorboat that transports paying passengers across waterbodies. It is different from a ferry/boat, which transports people between two locations.
How is operation of water taxi beneficial?
The water taxi will:
Reduce the commute time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai from 90-100 minutes to 40-45 minutes.
Boost tourism as it has connectivity to places like Kanhoji Angre, Elephant Island, Elephanta Caves etc.
Allow luggage up to 10 kg for each passenger (more than that will be charged Rs 1,000/kg).
In what routes will it operate?
Currently three routes have been finalised. They are:
Navi Mumbai's Belapur and South Mumbai's Domestic Cruise Terminal (DCT)
Belapur and Elephanta
Belapur and Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT)
How much will it cost?
The following are the pricing per passenger:
One-way speedboat service (30-40 minutes): Rs 800 to Rs 1,200
One-way catamaran service: Rs 290
Monthly speedboat pass: Rs 12,100
What are the fares for specific routes?
Here are the specific routes and their respective fares per passenger (with estimated commute time):
DCT to Dharamtar: Rs 2,000 (55 minutes)
DCT to Kanoji Angre: Rs 1,500 (55minutes)
DCT to Belapur (vice versa): Rs 1,210
DCT to Karanja: Rs 1,200 (45 minutes)
CBD Belapur to Nerul: Rs 1,100 (30 minutes)
DCT to JNPT to Elephanta to DCT: Rs 800 (35 minutes)
JNPT to Belapur: Rs 800 (25 minutes)
Belapur to JNPT to Elephanta to Belapur: Rs 800 (35 minutes)
DCT to JNPT: Rs 200 (20 minutes)
What are the capacities of the water taxis?
There are four boats at water taxi operator Infinity Harbour Services:
50-seater
40-seater
32-seater
14-seater
And two boats at West Coast Marine:
12-seater
20-seater
Commuters have been allocated eight boats in total.
Speed boats can accommodate 10-30 people
Catamaran can accommodate 65 people
At what timings will the services be available?
The water taxis will run:
330 days a year
From 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
What are the rules for the passengers?
The following are the rules:
Passengers should arrive 30 minutes prior to departure.
Boarding gates shall be closed 10 minutes before.
A valid photo ID must be carried.
The ticket is valid only for the departure slot booked on the date of travel (non-transferable).
All passengers should wear life jackets.
How to book a ride?
You can book a ride through Infinity Harbour by following these steps:
Select your desired destination
Select you preferred time slot
Select seat and enter your details
Complete payment (credit/debit card, net banking)
(Inputs from Mint, News18, The Indian Express)
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