Mumbai-Mandwa RoRo service begins, your commute to get easy

Much to the relief of daily commuters job seekers and holidaygoers travelling to Mandwa and other parts of Alibaug a new mode of transport the M2M1 Ropax Ferry Service commenced its operations on March 15 It has a capacity of carrying 500 passengers and up to 145 vehiclesM2M Ferries Private Limited MFPL formed by the promoters of Mandwa Port LLP who have developed operated and managed the passenger terminal at Mandwa teamed up with the Maharashtra Maritime Board and Mumbai Port Trust in their joint initiative to utilise Mumbairsquos waterways more effectively to launch the new Ropax ferry service ndash making Mumbai the first metropolitan city in India to introduce a Ropax service to its transport infrastructureMuch to the relief of daily commuters job seekers and holidaygoers travelling to Mandwa and other parts of Alibaug a new mode of transport the M2M1 Ropax Ferry Service commenced its operations on March 15 It has a capacity of carrying 500 passengers and up to 145 vehicles pictwittercomsOacGLGIfCmdash midday mid_day March 15 2020The ferry service will run a daily service between Mumbairsquos Ferry Wharf Terminal and the purposebuilt Mandwa Ropax Terminal every three hours The first month will have limited services and time schedules that will be published on the official websiteSingle and Return Tickets can be purchased from the ticketing counters at Ferry Wharf Mumbai and Mandwa Jetty Alibaug The passenger fares for the outer deck seating is Rs 225 indoor AC seating is Rs 335 and the VIP lounge is Rs 555 For vehicles small cars are priced at Rs 880 medium cars at Rs 1320 and large cars at Rs 1760 Motorcycles are priced at Rs 220 and Bicycles are priced at Rs 110 Minibus fares are set at Rs 3300 and Buses at Rs 5500 However the ferry will start transporting buses in a few monthsThe website for online bookings wwwm2mferriescom will be operational from March 19 allowing the ease of buying tickets or passes from the convenience of onersquos home or office In addition to this MFPL will offer additional infrastructure to commuters with bus services that will pick up and drop commuters from and to key locations in South Mumbai ie Churchgate Station CSMT and in sometime from Dockyard station at a discounted price for ticket holdersSince the RoPax service is now allowing one to drive their vehicles on board and sail across between Mumbai to Mandwa in around an hour Alibaug and the surrounding Konkan region will experience a boost in hinterland connectivity tourism activities and an increase in job opportunities in Mumbai as the daily commute throughout the year would now be possible Alibaug is now a suburb of Mumbai and M2M1 will facilitate accessibility for residents to commute to Mumbai city for work schooling or even leisureCurrently travellers can reach Mandwa by road through a 111 km drive that can take 5 hours or alternatively can opt for a ferry catamaran journey or a speedboat ride Of these the ferry and speedboat journeys come to a complete halt from the months of May to October during the monsoon season adding to commuter woes The M2M1 Ropax Ferry will be operational through 365 days of the year without any halt in services during the Monsoons offering much needed relief to the 20 lakh passengers who travel between Gateway of India in Mumbai and Mandwa Alibaug in the current period of 9 months of ferry service Besides the pathbreaking infrastructure that the Ropax Ferry brings to the country It will also reduce road traffic in Alibag bringing down harmful fuel consumption and pollution drasticallyCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get the latest updates