Diwali surprise: Take a ferry to Ratnagiri, Raigad

The MMB has introduced the services for seven days of the festive season, and plan to continue with it if the response is good.

To reduce the burden on public transport, the Mumbai Maritime Board (MMB) started ferry services to Raigad and Ratnagiri from Wednesday.

The MMB has introduced the services for seven days of the festive season, and plan to continue with it if the response is good. (File for representation)

A huge number of people travel to rural Maharashtra during the Diwali holidays. With the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) staff on strike, most people are finding it difficult to travel to Ratnagiri and Raigad, officials said.

The MMB has introduced the services for seven days of the festive season, and plan to continue with it if the response is good.

The boat will leave from Ferry Wharf (Bhaucha Dhakka) in Mumbai to Dighi in Raigad and Dabhol in Ratnagiri district. The MMB will also provide inter-connectivity between Dighi and Dabhol. While the cost of a ferry ride from Mumbai to Dighi is Rs330, the ticket from Mumbai to Dabhol is Rs660.

Atul Patne, chief executive officer of MMB, said, “We are keen on continuing with the services and extending them to Malwan. People are generally not used to a four-hour journey through ferry, but we will study the response over the next seven days.”

The capacity of each ferry is 35-40 passengers at a time. Passengers can visit https://mahammb.maharashtra.gov.in. for the ferry schedule and timings.