TBM Staff - Hyderabad After making sailing one of the most convenient options to visit Alibaug, M2M Ferries has continued to establish itself as one of the most trusted travel alternatives in the monsoon season. Ferrying over 45,000 passengers on a monthly basis in 2022 – which is consistent with the footfalls recorded during the 2021 monsoon season, M2M Ferries has made commuting to Alibaug even more accessible during the monsoon season which has had a direct impact on tourism and the economic growth of the Mandwa and Alibaug region during the monsoon season as opposed to a lull experienced every year during monsoons before the RoRo/Ropax service was in place.
Mandwa falls in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and has a population of more than 20 million. It includes the satellite towns of Greater Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Kalyan-Dombivali, Vasai-Virar and Mira-Bhayandar. The public transportation system in the region is overburdened, and the linkages are weak between many areas. A solution like M2M has boosted intercity travel and indirectly created a positive improvement in the overall opportunities and standard of living of residents in the area.
The Director of M2M Ferries, Devika Saigal, shares, “We’ve operated 21 trips a week and have now successfully provided all-year-round waterway connectivity for 2 years running. We look forward to providing this service and making it better every day by working on reducing carbon emission and boosting economic development through rural/urban connectivity.”
The record number of passengers travelling to Mandwa/Alibaug via M2M Ferries can also be attributed to the safe travelling confidence it provides its passengers courtesy the superior safety standards and service of the Ropax/RoRo service. M2M Ferries ensures that their safety protocols and precautions are in place all year round as per SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) guidelines, where stability of the vessel is maintained accordingly in lieu of rough weather conditions and loading/discharging procedures are followed accordingly by their trained and experienced crew, making it a viable and safe option for travel. The state-of-the-art purpose built vessel also maintains all necessary Life Saving Appliances (LSA) onboard at all times.
M2M Ferries is a prime example of a strong private/public partnership that will evolve and transform the waterway transport in ways unimagined. Other ferry services currently do operate between the Gateway of India and Mandwa, but they are shut during the monsoon seasons, and there was no provision for the transportation of cars and bikes by sea. With the M2M Ferries service, we can surely say that the journey has transformed into an enjoyable, eco-friendly and a safe alternative for everyone. Both the passengers and luggage can be conveniently transported with minimal to negligible hassle as the ferry carries up to 500 pax, 130 vehicles and also has a section exclusively for pets.
