Travelling from Gateway of India in South Bombay, to Belapur in Navi Mumbai via road takes more than an hour during peak traffic hours. In a bid to shorten the travel time between both points and to reduce traffic woes, the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) is expected to begin the Gateway-Belapur water taxi service, which will cover the distance between both points in merely 30 minutes.
Furthermore, with the adoption of hybrid models (electric-diesel) water taxis, the fares could be reduced to ₹200 for a one-side journey between the two points.
More about the upcoming Gateway-Belapur ferry service
Reportedly, MbPT announced the decision to run a ferry service on the route before monsoon. They have been planning strategies to keep the fares reasonable.
Contributing to the matter, Infinity Harbour Service, a private water taxi operator in Mumbai is planning to launch hybrid model water taxis. These retrofitted taxis could bring down the per-hour fuel consumption, which stands at 140 litres of diesel right now, to just 30 litres, also resulting in the reduction of emissions.
Furthermore, with the launch of hybrid models, the fares could also go down to ₹200 from the previously estimated price of ₹800 for a one-way journey.
