September 9, 2025: The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) has set in motion plans to commission ten new water transport routes across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), with four of them providing direct links to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. The move is designed to ease road congestion, strengthen coastal connectivity, and promote water-based commuting as a practical alternative for daily travellers.
To prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR), MMB has appointed Kochi Water Metro as consultant. The study will examine travel patterns around proposed jetties, carry out household preference and occupancy surveys, assess travel demand, and draw up concept designs for modern terminal facilities. In addition, the DPR will outline measures to upgrade 21 existing water routes in the region, many of which have served local residents for decades.
Officials acknowledged that past attempts to establish water transport in Mumbai have often faltered. In the early 1990s, hovercraft services operated between Gateway of India and Navi Mumbai, and between Juhu Beach and Girgaum Chowpatty, but were soon discontinued. Subsequent tenders floated in 2003, 2010 and 2015 for ferry operations along the western coastline and between major suburbs were also abandoned, with no services taking off.
However, the Ro-Pax ferry service between New Ferry Wharf and Mandwa, introduced in March 2020, has continued successfully, offering encouragement for future initiatives. Other services, such as the Gateway of India to Belapur route, were suspended within months due to low ridership and last-mile connectivity problems.
According to MMB, the forthcoming DPR will focus on developing an integrated, commuter-friendly water transport system, drawing lessons from international models in Sydney, New York, San Francisco, Bangkok and Istanbul. The improvements are expected to transform water transport into a reliable and convenient option for MMR commuters.
Source: Prop Time News
