Mumbai, May 20: The Maharashtra Government is set to introduce an online ticketing system for passenger water transport services across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) in a major move to modernise, streamline and improve transparency in the sector.
Maharashtra Minister for Fisheries and Ports, Nitesh Rane, announced that the traditional ticketing system operating on the Versova Madh water route will soon be converted into a fully digital platform. The announcement was made during a high-level review meeting held at Mantralaya regarding the implementation of an online ticket distribution and sales system for passenger water transport services in the MMR region.
The meeting was chaired by Minister Nitesh Rane and attended by Maharashtra Maritime Board Chief Executive Officer P. Pradeep along with senior officials from the concerned departments. Speaking at the meeting, Minister Rane said the digital ticketing project will be implemented jointly by the Maharashtra Maritime Board and private partners. As part of the initiative, commuters will be able to access monthly, quarterly and annual digital travel passes through the new system.
The government has set a target to shift at least 50 per cent of all ticket transactions online within the next three months. Currently, nearly 22,000 ticket transactions take place daily on the route, and the authorities aim to ensure that at least 11,000 of these transactions are conducted digitally. Minister Rane said the increasing number of passengers using water transport services in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region has made it necessary to adopt modern digital systems. He stated that the online ticketing facility will reduce waiting time, eliminate long queues for passengers, speed up the ticketing process and bring greater transparency to the overall system.
The meeting also focused on speeding up water transport operations before the onset of the monsoon season. Discussions were held on the early commencement of services on routes including Gateway of India, Belapur, Elephanta and DCD Terminal. In addition, the government is exploring opportunities to generate additional revenue through advertisements and commercial branding integrated into the digital ticketing system. Plans are also being prepared to improve passenger amenities at jetty locations by developing gazebos, digital information systems and other commuter friendly facilities.
During the presentation, officials showcased several modern features proposed under the project, including smart automatic gates, QR code-based entry systems, handheld ticketing devices and multi-modal digital payment systems aimed at enhancing the commuter experience.
