Travel From Mumbai To Navi Mumbai In Just 17 Minutes With New Water Taxi Service

Mumbaikars, there's great news for you! Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has revealed details of the launch of a revolutionary water taxi service which is expected to cut through the current distance between Mumbai and the Navi Mumbai International Airport to just 17 minutes!

Travel From Mumbai To Navi Mumbai In Just 17 Minutes With New Water Taxi Service

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This announcement was made at a political rally in Thane. The plan seeks to offer a quicker, greener option to road travel which is beneficial considering the extreme traffic and pollution levels in the city. The water taxi service will be using the expansive sea routes of Mumbai allowing passengers’ quick movements within the city and towards in and out of Navi Mumbai.

There is already a jetty built near the new airport to enable the use of this transport service, which is expected to be revolutionary in the field of urban transport. The upcoming project seems to be a huge relief as it will cut down the traveling time for the passengers and will make the travel in that busy coast easy and quick.

Key Highlights:

1) Amphibious Seaplanes: The project will contain, among others, the amphibious seaplanes that are able to both take off and land on water and land. Such flexible aircrafts are best suited for operations in Thane where the constraining factor of smaller water bodies exist and are not dependant on normal runways, thus they are ideal for urban water based transport.

2) Travel Time: Introduction of water taxi service will cut down the travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai from what is a often an hours drive to only 17 minutes due to the incorporation of the extensive coastline as well as using sharp boat cutting sea ways.

3) Timeline for Development: It is assumed that the first water taxi phase will be made operational in March 2024, anticipating the commencement of the Navi Mumbai International Airport thus making the service part of the transport systems of the city.

4) Infrastructure: Completion of basic infrastructure for smooth operations such as provision of jetties near the vicinity of the airport has been done ahead of schedule guaranteeing timely commencement of the project.

The introduction of the water taxi service is not an end in itself but is part of the more elaborate plan to deal with the issue of traffic congestion and pollution in the city of Mumbai. The service incorporates the water transport system of the city for a modern simple eco-friendly means of transport which is faster and effective as good as the road systems. There are water transport systems in cities such as Paris and New York that have made urban transportation less difficult and quicker without compromising the enjoyment of the commuters. This project hopes to do the same in Mumbai.

The state-run water taxi service in Kerala was set in 2020, making history as the first ever in the country, and showcased the potential of such eco friendly means. Following this, Mumbai’s water taxi is based on the same principles, being a fresh and green mode of transport in place of the existing road transport system.