Tenders to have passenger water transport on the eastern coast of Mumbai will be floated in June-July with a target to launch services between Gateway of India and Mandwa, and Ferry Wharf and Uran by early 2017.

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"Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) and Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) together will implement the project, and by June or July we will come out with tenders for the project," said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at an event held at Ferry Wharf on Friday evening.

He added that in 18 months, after awarding the contract, citizens will benefit with the waterways connecting Mumbai with Mandwa and Uran.

These will be RoPax (Roll On-Roll Off Passenger) and RoRo (Roll On-Roll Off) ferries and catamarans, so that commuters as well as vehicles can sail together. These vessels will have a capacity to accommodate 30-40 cars and around 250 passengers.

On April 9, dna had reported that Fadnavis has handed over the inland passenger water transport project to MMB and MbPT and an in-principle approval too has been given for the crucial project that has only witnessed repeated failed starts.

"For the last 17 years, since the project was conceptualised for Mumbai, not even a single boat has been started by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation," said Nitin Gadkari, minister of road transport and highways and shipping.

According to Gadkari, the terminals that will be made will have features and facilities like airports.

There are also plans with the ministry of shipping to operate two waterbuses, or amphibian buses, between Mumbai and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT). "In another two to three days, tendering of the same will be done by JNPT," announced Gadkari.