Uber ‘At Sea’ In Mumbai: To Launch Boat Commute, Reducing The Journey From City To Mandwa To Just 22 Minutes

Cab aggregator service Uber may be launching the UberBOAT service from the Gateway of India on Wednesday (30 January) morning, the Times of India reports. Uber said, “Mumbaikars will get to experience a new mode of transport on the aggregator platform”, the Times of India believes it to be a speedboat service.

According to the sources, UberBOAT will be a six seater-speedboat service. Riders will be able to book either a seat or the entire speedboat 15 minutes before boarding.

Sources say the first route Uber is exploring is the Gateway-Mandwa Jetty. Fares will be fixed at the start and then shift to dynamic pricing mode. The UberBOAT journey will cover the ferry journey to Mandwa in 20 to 22 minutes compared to ferries which take an hour.

According to a senior Uber official, the latest mode of transportation will become a “game changer” for Mumbai. “If successful, the UberBOAT service could be launched for other destinations, including Navi Mumbai, in near future,” said another official from Mumbai Port Trust.

There has been a demand from commuters for a water transport service from Navi Mumbai areas such as Nerul or Belapur to south Mumbai and will benefit people travelling from far parts of the city to south Mumbai for work.

Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT ) chairman Sanjay Bhatia announced that “MbPT aims to create a world-class infrastructure for water transport and sea tourism that will make Mumbai the country’s hub for sea transport and tourism.”

Mumbai residents will look forward to the new mode of transport as a relief from traffic-packed roads and overcrowded trains.