MUMBAI, Feb 18 (NNN-PTI) – India launched its first water-taxi service, in its financial capital Mumbai, connecting with its satellite city of Navi Mumbai yesterday.
The water-taxi service will connect the domestic cruise terminal at Mumbai port to Belapur, in Navi Mumbai, which is 24 km but takes around 90 minutes of travel time by road.
Flagging of the service virtually, Indian Shipping Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said, the water taxi service will reduce travel time between Navi Mumbai and the main island city to less than 30 minutes, while easing road traffic congestion and also encouraging the use of Mumbai Harbour for transportation.
Speaking on the occasion, Uddhav Thackeray, chief minister of India’s western state of Maharashtra, which has Mumbai as its political capital, said, the first train service in India had started between Mumbai and Thane, located on the outskirts of the city, and similarly the country’s first water-taxi service is also starting from Mumbai, and it will be followed throughout the country in the future.
The water taxi project, part of India’s Sagarmala programme, which is the garland of ports across the country’s coast, will also connect nearby locations at Nerul, Belapur, Elephanta island and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) with Mumbai, the shipping minister said.– NNN-PTI
