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India's First Water Taxi Service in Mumbai

India’s first water taxi connecting Mumbai east coast with mainland in Navi Mumbai and other locations was inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in the presence of Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal recently. “The country’s first railway service was started by the British between Mumbai and Thane before it quickly spread all over India. The city always sets a trend that is emulated by the rest of the country, after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ruled over the seas," Thackeray had said. According to Oxford dictionary water taxi is “a small motorboat for transporting paying passengers on rivers, canals, etc.” It is different from ferry, a boat service between two points. 1. The water taxi service will reduce communte time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai — from the present 90-100 minutes by road to 40-45 minutes by the sea. 2. It will also give a fillip to tourist places like Elephanta Island, Kanhoji Angre Isle and other places on the mainland in the Konkan. 3. Four operators would run speed-boats as water taxis with a capacity of 10-30 passengers and catamarans that can ferry 56 passengers for mass transport, with provision for monthly passes for the regulars. 4. The work on Belapur Jetty started in January 2019 and was completed in September 2021 at a cost of Rs 8.37 crore with state and Central funds. 5. It has a huge parking area and presently three water taxi routes have been finalised linking the Domestic Cruise Terminal in south Mumbai with Belapur and JNPT on the mainland in Navi Mumbai, plus the Elephanta Caves. 6. Luggage of 10 kg per passenger will be allowed, above which passenger will be charged Rs 1,000 per kg.

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IPL 2022 to be held in five venues across Maharashtra

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed the franchises that the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League will be held in Maharashtra only. A formal announcement is expected next week with Ahmedabad being picked as a venue to host the play-offs and final. With the Covid numbers coming down and most states allowing stadiums to operate at 50 per cent to 100 per cent capacity, the BCCI was mulling to take the IPL across India as usual. Moreover, it has included multiple venues for India’s upcoming series against Sri Lanka with Lucknow, Dharamsala, Mohali and Bengaluru set to host T20Is and Tests. While the limited-overs series against West Indies, which is ongoing, was played behind closed doors, there is still no update for the Sri Lanka series. However, the BCCI is not keen on taking any chances with the IPL. It is understood that even the franchises were not keen on playing across India as it would bring air travel into play, which could potentially compromise the bio-secure environment. With all the parties agreeing to keep it in limited venues, the BCCI has also shelved the caravan format it tried last season in India and failed. Instead, with the number of matches increasing to 74 following the inclusion of two new teams, the BCCI is planning to host the league stages of the IPL in Mumbai and Pune. As previously reported by this newspaper, apart from Wankhede Stadium, Cricket Club of India and DY Patil Stadium, the BCCI is planning to host the matches at Reliance Stadium, which is also in Navi Mumbai to avoid overuse of pitches. Similarly, the BCCI will also add the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune, as it can be easily covered by road. It is not clear if the teams will have to shift their bases to Pune for the matches in the city. Even if it is so, the BCCI believes, it won’t be an issue as it can be easily covered by road. With regards to the Reliance Stadium, it has floodlight facilities and the only thing that remains to be checked is if it is conducive for the broadcasters.

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Radisson plans 400 hotels across EMEA and Asia

Radisson Hotel Group has announced plans to add 400 hotels across EMEA and Asia in 2022. Radisson Collection properties are earmarked for Berlin and Bilbao following the opening of hotels under the Collection brand in cities including Seville, Venice and Milan last year. Meanwhile, Radisson Individuals, its conversion brand, will add 13 new destinations this year with hotels in Russia, the UK, Athens, Belgrade, Paris and Istanbul. Elie Younes, global chief development officer, Radisson Hotel Group, said: “2021 has been another exciting and challenging year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The context triggered us to innovate which resulted in more possibilities and opportunities. We look forward to creating more growth in 2022. A heartfelt thank you to our owners, colleagues, investors, shareholders, and guests who have continued to support us throughout the journey so far.” The group also recently announced a Radission Blu hotel opening in Barcelona later this year.

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Mumbai's water taxi service gets flagged off

Mumbai is now home to water taxi service, which was virtually flagged off by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways & AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday. The first water taxi was flagged off from the city's Belapur Jetty, which was inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister, Udhav Thackeray. The water taxi will connect Mumbai with Navi Mumbai, and will only take about 30 minutes of travel time. The water taxis will also connect other locations such as Elephanta Island, Belapur, Nerul, and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. Travellers from Navi Mumbai can reduce travel time by 3 hours and visit the Gateway of India with the help of this water taxi service. The Belapur Jetty was constructed for a cost of INR 8.37 crore. The jetty was funded under the Sagarmala scheme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, in the 50-50 model. Sonowal said that the Sagarmala Programme has helped in the development of numerous projects, such as modernisation of ports, rail, road, cruise tourism, RORO, and more. Mumbai water taxis are the first of its kind in the country, and here is a breakdown of its fare and how to book one for your journey. From the Domestic Cruise Terminal (DCT) to Belapur will cost you INR 1210, and vice versa. If you are travelling from DCT to Dharamtar, it will cost you INR 2000, and will take 55 minutes of travel time. From DCT to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust you can travel in 20 minutes, and it will cost you INR 200. On the other hand, you can also opt for a monthly pass for speed boats that will cost you INR 12100.

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You can win a free trip to the Netherlands if you act fast!

Planning for an international trip; well, now you can win one free trip to Amsterdam if you act fast. Not only this, you might just be lucky to win a VIP-status trip to Amsterdam and experience it. As per the reports, Tiqets, a ticket booking platform for tourist attractions, is partnering with the world’s famous tulip garden, Keukenhof to give that one lucky winner a week-long trip to the Netherlands. The experience, named Feast in the Flowers, is scheduled for April 11 to April 17, and will offer experiences like enjoying an unforgettable dinner from Bolenius' chef Luc Kusters on April 14, when the tulips are in full bloom. What’s more is that the winner and a guest will get round trip airfare from the United States, hotel rooms in Amsterdam and Lisse, where Keukenhof is located, as well as a memorable private tour of the garden, complete with dinner amid the tulips from Bolenius, Amsterdam's only Michelin Green Star restaurant. The goodies don’t stop here! The winner will also get a pair of Amsterdam City Cards that will allow them access to some of the most popular landmarks of the city, including the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, and Van Gogh Museum. Keukenhof remains open to the public from mid-March to mid-May, whereas the contest will remain open until March 12. Note that the Feast in the Flowers dinner experience is also available for non-contestants between April 21 and May 19, and they can avail this experience for around $170 per person.

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Switzerland ends almost all COVID-19 related restrictions for travellers from low-risk countries

The government of Switzerland has decided to lift nearly all COVID-19 restrictions for travellers from low-risk countries, mainly from the EU, as infection rates have dipped massively in the country. From now on, people won’t have to show COVID certificates in restaurants, bars or theaters. It has to be noted that: - Entry from Schengen / EU / EFTA will be possible without restrictions - Entry from third countries (not SEM risk list) will be possible without restriction - Entry from third countries (SEM risk list) will be possible for vaccinated persons (< 270 days) against proof of vaccination Swiss President Ignazio Cassis said at a press conference, "Switzerland is taking a decisive and important step towards normality. The virus is there. We are learning how to live with the virus." In a nation of about 8.5 million people, the health authorities have reported some 21000 new daily infection cases and 10 new deaths. This rate has gone down steadily since a 7-day average of more than 36000 cases per day. It was in October 2021 that the country reported a fast growth in the number of COVID-19 infections when the Omicron variant spread quite rapidly in the country. On February 8, health experts announced that the seven-day average daily figure has gone down. The Swiss government, in a statement, has stated that the epidemiological situation continues to develop positively given the high level of immunity in the population. It further said that it is unlikely that the healthcare system will be overloaded now. It further added, “This means that the conditions are in place for a rapid normalisation of social and economic life.” On Wednesday, the country recorded a total of 21032 new cases.

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