Ferries body tell MbPA: Pvt speedboats a menace to us

MUMBAI: Six days before a naval speedboat crashed into a passenger ferry, Neel Kamal, off the Gateway of India, killing 15, an association of ferries – the Gateway Elephanta Jal Vahatuk Sahakari Sanstha Maryadi (GEJVSSM) – had written to the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) and the Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) highlighting a long-standing problem of private speedboats interfering with their space at the jetties.

In its letter dated December 12, which HT has seen, the association called attention to how private players, which have permission to use jetty number 5, were veering toward jetties 1 to 4, which are marked for passenger ferries. This invasion, the association underscored, posed a risk to the ferries.

The letter stated that the force of the speedboats “emits strong waves which cause severe rolling of the wooden boats”, making it difficult for the wooden ferries to arrive and berth into jetties 1 to 4. The problem is exacerbated by the “congestion and turbulence caused by the speedboats” which compromise safety of the boats, passengers and crew.

A member from the Sanstha, who chose anonymity, said, “A jetty is a man-made port where boats can arrive and dock – some stepped and some sloped. Jetties numbered 1 to 4 are meant for commercial ferries. The Supreme Court has capped the number at 92, to avoid overcrowding. 88 of them are under the Sanstha while rest are owned and run by Neel Kamal.”

“The jetty number 5, in front of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, is used by private boat owners for personal use, after acquiring permission from MbPA and MMB,” he added. However, the proliferation of private speedboats at jetty 5, results in many using the other jetties, he added. The Sanstha’s complaint letter has yet to garner any response from the authorities, he said.

While the letter was aimed at private players, members also pointed to past incidents of collisions between naval vessels and ferries, when wooden boats were damaged, although there were no casualties.

A member of the Sanstha recalled a case from 2023. “A naval boat crashed with a ferry Nizami, between the Gateway and Elephanta caves. The ferry was damaged and repaired by the owners, even though complaints were raised with the Navy,” he said. A spokesperson for Indian Navy, in Mumbai, however said, “There have been no incidents in the recent past where naval boats have damaged passenger ferries in the Mumbai harbour.”

Praveen Khara, chief of ports, MMB, said they received the association’s December 12 letter on Monday.“We will call the ferry association for a meeting along with MbPA, which also gives slots to boats at the jetty, and arrive at a resolution. Our past reviews have revealed there are no safety issues; only logistics need to be sorted,” he said.