To decongest Mumbai, Maharashtra govt eyes sea routes and water taxis

In a bid to decongest Mumbai the Maharashtra government is planning to develop sea routes with water taxi services in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region MMR a state minister has said reported news agency PTIA detailed project report DPR for this has been prepared Ports Minister Nitesh Rane told PTI in Mumbai on TuesdayWe have seen the success of Mumbai Metro On those lines we will be starting water taxis in the MMR We have already identified eight to nine routes he said reported PTIWe have the DPR and are speaking to international consultants the minister saidThe government will also introduce 30seater electric vessels from the Gateway of India to Alibaug and Elephanta Island he said reported PTIRane said 15 vessels are being procured from Candela Cruise a Swedish company and two of them will arrive in AugustThe vessels will reduce pollution and provide public transport service with affordable rates It will be managed by the Maharashtra Maritime Board he saidThe existing wooden boats can continue to ply Commuters will have a choice like in the case of road transport service aggregators the minister said reported PTIBesides a RoRo roll onroll off service facility will be provided from Mazgaon in Mumbai to Malvan in Sindhudurg district and it will cover the distance in fourandahalf hours The first service will start during the Ganpati festival later this year he said reported PTIJetties are being constructed in Ratnagiri Vijaydurg and Malvan for the service Rane addedMumbai roads to be fully concretised by April 2027 Deputy CM ShindeThe road network in Mumbai will be fully concretised and made potholefree by April 2027 Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on TuesdayWhen he became chief minister in 2022 his government decided to concretise 700 km of roads in the city and the work was in progress on 400 km of roads he saidBetween December 2026 to MarchApril 2027 100 per cent of roads will be concretised Shinde told reportersThe deputy CM who is also the Urban Development Minister was inspecting the progress of the concretisation of roads before the start of the monsoonUtility ducts have been made along the roads so that there is no need to dig them up again and again for fresh utility works he further saidM60 material is being used for Ultra Thin White Topping of roads Shinde said adding The roads will last for 2530 years and will be accidentfree and potholefreeWith inputs from PTIatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params