If Maharashtra Ports and Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane has his way, Mumbaikars could soon have access to a water metro service operated by battery-powered ferries. The service is likely to be introduced in Mumbai by December or January next year.
The project is learnt to be modelled on Kochi Water Metro -- first-of-its-kind integrated water transport system in Asia -- and is likely to cost Rs 1200 crores.
It is learnt that Nitesh Rane will get a detailed project report about the water metro by the end of February and he will then submit it to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Fadnavis is likely to make the announcement in the budget that he will present on march 6th in the state legislature.
The state government is of the thinking that the water metro service can be deployed on 6-7 routes to ease the traffic congestion in the city. Rane and Fadnavis will hold a detailed discussion about the project and then finalise two routes on which the water taxi project will be implemented in the initial phases.
It is not clear yet as to who will supply these water taxis to the government.
Rane said that they have decided to begin with mumbai city and then gradually extend the services to cover entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
The route in Mumbai city is likely to be from Nariman Point to Versova via Bandra. Another route planned is Radio club to Navi Mumbai International Airport. Once the radio club jetty is ready this travel is likely to take just about 45 minutes to reach NMIA. The coastal locations like Worli, which have very high traffic density will be first connected through water taxi as a priority.
Fadnaivs had made announcement about this project during winter session of the state legislature in December last year in Nagpur.
