In a welcoming news for Mumbaikars, the newly-launched water taxi services between Belapur and Mandwa will begin in phases starting November 26. However, this service will be available on weekends only for now.
According to the reports, the water taxi will depart from Belapur at 8 am and arrive at Mandwa at 9.15 am. The service from Mandwa will be at 6 pm and it will arrive at Belapur at 7:45 pm via the Domestic Cruise Terminal (DCW) ferry wharf.
The ticket price will be INR 300 for executive class and INR 400 for business class. However, there is also a demand from authorities to the state government to subsidise ticket rates to make water transport affordable for commuters.
Earlier this month, it was running ferries only from DCT to Mandwa. However, they decided to cater to more available routes to draw footfall and generate revenue.
The Nayan XI vessel is completely air-conditioned, with two washrooms on the upper and four on the lower deck. It has a seating capacity of 140 on the lower deck and 60 on the upper/ business class deck. It is the first high-speed double-deck steady catamaran of its size in Mumbai that is capable of cruising across the ocean. The newly launched vessel’s speed can go up to 22 knots and it sails at 15 knots between South Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
Water taxi services began in Mumbai in February this year. However, Nayan XI is the first and only service from the domestic cruise terminal. Currently, other operators are running to and fro rides between Belapur, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Elephanta Caves.
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