 "Proposed in '99, Mumbai water transport system may finally take off")
Mumbai: Plans for developing a passenger water transport system in Mumbai may finally see the light of the day with Maharashtra Government proposing to take up the responsibility for creating port infrastructure and leaving the job of operation and maintenance to the private sector. Mooted in 1999, the proposal for having water transport for the metropolis had not taken off. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corp (MSRDC) went through the tendering process three times, but executing the ambitious project on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis didn’t take off. [caption id=“attachment_136542” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Representational Image. The New York Water Transport System. Reuters”]  [/caption] Chief Secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad said Chief Minister Minister Prithviraj Chavan has asked MSRDC to study the volume of passenger traffic on Western and Eastern water fronts, including the operation and maintenance, in two months. “At the moment, we can say the water transport plan is on track. If everything goes well, we can float tenders and start work right away,” Gaikwad said. The Western front will have six jetties — at Borivli, Marve, Versova, Juhu, Bandra and Nariman Point. On the Eastern front, the jetties will be at Mandwa, Alibag, Revas (Raigad district), Nerul (Navi Mumbai) and Gateway of India. “Roll on Roll off (Ro Ro) service, where vehicles can be taken on the boat, exists in Mandwa. There is plan to have such a system in Nerul so that passengers from Navi Mumbai can bring their four-wheelers to their workplaces,” he said. The two-month study will include expenditure on construction of the port, infrastructure terms and conditions for private companies to use the jetties, passenger fare, among others, Gaikwad said. He said state agencies, CIDCO, MMRDA and the Government will spend Rs 750 crore for constructing port infrastructure on the Western front, while Rs 250 crore will be spent by MSRDC for the same on the Eastern front. PTI
The Maharashtra Government proposes to take up the responsibility for creating port infrastructure and leaving the job of operation and maintenance to the private sector.
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