Navi Mumbai, Dec. 11 -- The long-awaited passenger ferry service connecting CIDCO's Nerul Passenger Water Terminal (NPWT) with Mumbai's Bhaucha Dhakka is set to launch on December 15, marking a major boost to Navi Mumbai's stalled water transport ambitions. The service will provide a 30-minute cross-harbour commute, a route that currently takes more than 90 minutes by road. The ferry, priced at Rs.935 per passenger, will begin with four daily trips on a 20-seater vessel. Final route clearances from maritime authorities are expected ahead of the launch. CIDCO vice chairman and managing director Vijay Singhal said the service will play an important role in the region's emerging multi-modal transport grid. "With the airport, metro and road corridors advancing, water transport will now become a key connector. This link will drastically reduce travel time and bring water mobility back into the network," he said. Singhal added that the Nerul terminal is finally moving towards the multi-route role envisioned for it. "With the Elephanta service running, the Bhaucha Dhakka link ready, and additional leisure-based activities underway, the jetty is edging closer to its planned maritime footprint," he said. The ferry operator, Waterfront Experiences Mumbai Pvt Ltd of the Drishti Group, said safety protocols have been tightened for the new route. Life jackets will be compulsory for all passengers during boarding. The operator is also preparing a series of tourism attractions to build footfall at the terminal. "Water sports are next-we plan to start speedboat shows by January, jet skiing will begin soon, and a floating restaurant and flamingo tourism circuit are in the works," an official said. Under the proposed eco-tourism plan, visitors travelling from Mumbai will be briefed at the jetty before being taken to DPS Lake for guided flamingo viewing. The Nerul terminal, built for around Rs.150 crore and inaugurated in 2023, remained inactive for nearly three years due to insufficient water depth, pending permissions and repeated tender failures. Operations finally began this year with the Nerul-Elephanta service, which currently runs twice a day at Rs.560 per passenger. But ridership has been extremely low. "Over the past month, not more than 60 passengers have used the Elephanta service," the operator said, adding that commuters are waiting for more predictable schedules and wider awareness. A long-debated Ro-Ro plan for Nerul has now been firmly ruled out. "Ro-Ro vessels require at least four metres of draft. Nerul drops to barely one to one-and-a-half metres. Even high tides do not align with commuter timings. It is simply not feasible," the operator confirmed. Draft concerns and design limitations were among the key reasons earlier tenders repeatedly failed, delaying activation of the terminal. With the Mumbai passenger link ready and leisure infrastructure being added, the coming months will be crucial in determining whether fare structures and ridership stabilise enough for Nerul to scale up into the multi-route maritime hub CIDCO has long projected....