Take AC ferry from Borivli to Nariman Point for Rs240
According to chief engineer Subhash Nage, who is in charge of the project, this transport pattern should be considered as “premium class”, which will not be for those who travel by trains or buses.
The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation’s (MSRDC) plans to kick-start the passenger water transport soon and one can expect a hassle free, air-conditioned ride to Nariman Point from Borivli for just Rs240.
The corporation has short-listed the bid submitted by a consortium led by Pratibha Industries along with Kakade Infrastructure (Pune) and Malaysia based Inai Kiara Company which will start constructing the jetties once the cabinet committee on infrastructure gives its nod. “All necessary clearances for running the project have been opted. There are some issues about the concession period quoted by the operator- which is 29 years. Ideally, we were expecting anything lower than 33 years. However, the final decision will be taken by the cabinet committee,” said MSRDC vice chairman and managing director Bipin Shrimali.
According to chief engineer Subhash Nage, who is in charge of the project, this transport pattern should be considered as “premium class”, which will not be for those who travel by trains or buses.
“Although the ticket rates are to be decided by the operator, we are looking at a ticket in the range of Rs219 to Rs240. So a motorist, who wants to reach south Mumbai from Borivli, can reach comfortably as the boats will be air-conditioned. Though this transport pattern is premium, we expect it to be used by close to 55,000 to 60,000 passengers per day. That many number of vehicles will go off the city’s roads,” Nage told DNA.
The final bids were opened by the corporation in July last year. The Rs1200 crore-project is still awaiting the state government nod. “Since it is a public-private-partnership project (PPP) and the responsibility of the consortium to make the project financially viable, they will have to keep the fare structure attractive enough for the commuters. In the request for proposal (RFP), it was clearly mentioned that the frequency of the boats has to be 15 to 20 minutes in the peak hours. While working on the fare structures, the concessioner will have to work the economics, keeping in mind the cost of high speed diesel as well as the commuter friendly fares,” informed a senior corporation official.