Centre mulls high-speed boat service between Mumbai and Daman, Diu

After the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, the Centre is looking at another faster mode of transport between the two states. This time it wants to connect Mumbai with Daman and Diu on the west coast with a high-speed boat service.

The boat would be a catamaran with speed of 30 knots (55 km/hr).

Given the regular flow of business commuters between the two States, the Centre believes that the marine transport option should be explored.

State-run Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) has been mandated by the Union Territory Administration of Daman & Diu to carry out a technical feasibility and economic viability study for the proposed high-speed boat service. The Daman and Diu are administratively run as a Union Territory but geographically, they are parts of Gujarat.

A number of business houses based out of Mumbai have their manufacturing units in Gujarat. The business executives commute between the two states for managing the units.

From Mumbai, Diu is about 850 km and Daman is 180 km.

On Tuesday, the national flag carrier floated a tender for selecting a marine consultant to carry out the study. The tender document says that there is significant traffic movement between Gujarat and Mumbai by road and rail. This movement takes a lot of time and the routes are extensive because of the geographic peculiarities.

The nautical distance between these two locations, though, is quite short in comparison. Therefore, a marine passenger service will be efficient, less polluting and time-saving for the passengers, it said.

The scope of the tender is to undertake a detailed market study so as to establish the demand for passenger traffic movements between Mumbai, Daman, and Diu. It will look at traffic growth projections, pricing strategy and assess the cost and time profile of the passenger movement.

Passenger survey also needs to be conducted to assess their reaction to the concept of travel by sea instead of the current modes such as rail, road, and air. The consultant will have to a carry out a detailed analysis of existing infrastructure at Daman, Diu, and Mumbai.

The options of managing passenger terminals based on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) or Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) will also have to be recommended by the consultant.

Sailing enthusiast, Surendra Kulkarni said that the wave conditions are favourable in those waters. Therefore, a marine transport system for passengers as well for their cars should be explored. Till 1947, Mumbai was connected with Karachi on the West coast, he said.

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