E-Paper
Have a safe ferry!
Collin Rodrigues gets upclose with the city’s waterways.
Mumbai sometimes reminds me of my native Goa. The feeling is more palpable at places like Mazagaon Docks or Bhaucha Dhakka as it is known in popular lingo. Its ferry service has been existent since the days of the Raj, transporting people to and fro from Mora in Raigad and Rewas in Alibaug. It is similar to the Divar, Ribandar, Pennem and Cortalim ferries of Goa.
The only difference is that travellers here have to shell out Rs 20 for Mora which is a 45-minute ride and Rs 29 for Rewas which is an hour away. Whereas in the coastal state, the expenses are taken care of by the government and it takes a maximum of 15 minutes to reach the other side.
Coming back to aamchi Mumbai, the first ferry leaves the port at 6 am and the last at 9 pm. Each launch carries between 98 and 125 people. There is a departure for Rewas every hour and for Mora every 45 minutes.
Numbers speak
On an average, 1000 people travel from coast to coast, the crowd comprising office goers and a large segment of the Koli community who sell local fish in Alibaug. During the weekends it’s the picnic crowd who cramp the ferries with their music systems and backpacks.
Some of them also carry their bikes and pay an additional Rs 30 for it. Safety is top priority for the Bombay Port Trust under whose purview the launches operate. Twelve of these are licensed to carry passengers to Mora and 11 to Rewas. Every new boat goes through a thorough check by the Maharashtra Maritime Board which is in charge of certification and levying taxes.
Says Suresh Matkar who is employed at the Traffic Inspector and Assistant Port Supervisor’s Mazagaon Dock office, “We even conduct checks on the existing boats. If it doesn’t meet our requirements, then the license is revoked until it is repaired.”
Adds Zahoor Mehmood Bamne of the Kadri Motor Launch Company, “Many years back, we had given a detailed report to a state minister on the number of accidents that happen in every travel sector. We came out trumps as we had none.”
Safety first
The number of life jackets and life buoys on every boat are the same as the passenger capacity. The six member crew includes two qualified professional and an engine driver or sarang as he is known in Marathi. The training for the former is imparted by the maritime board. Bamne further adds, “On many an occasion our divers have jumped into the sea to save lovers who jump overboard to commit suicides. Our crew has an additional job on prying on our customers.”
The Rewas route completely shuts its operations between May 31 and September 1 due to the monsoons. While the Mora line remains shut only in the morning if the weather is bad. During this period passengers travel by train which is costlier and takes more than two hours. One aspect which hasn’t changed is the security situation. The recent attacks which were an eye opener to the security establishment has had no effect here. The entrance is manned by two policemen from the Yellow Gate Police Station at Carnac Bunder.
On the lookout
Says head constable A R Mulani of the station which started way back in 1875, “We check only suspicious looking people and baggage. It is not possible for two of us to frisk every person who enters the boat,” Offshore, there are six police boats that patrol the high seas. This is excluding the three boats where the local police and the customs department conduct combing operations.
As I exit, I see a rush of people hastily entering one of last boats home. It’s windy and the launch wobbles away from the dock. But it doesn’t deter people from jumping in, as they are aware of the on-board safety gear. That reminds me of Goa again where ferries accommodate cars, pick up vans, tempos and people too.. without any safety equipment. Well, it doesn’t matter even for the people inside the boats, as long as it’s a ‘safe journey.’
