First water taxi of India

Around the world, Venice, Dubai, Amsterdam …wherever there is canal or wide water body, there is a water taxi. And it is surprising that it took so many years for Kerala to finally announced the launch of its water taxi to commute around the backwaters.

To start from October, it will first roll out 10-seater water taxis in the backwaters in Alappuzha district, a key region in Kerala's tourist map – the first of its kind in India. It's a Catamaran diesel-powered boat with comfortable seating capacity for 10 people, with a speed of 15 nautical miles per hour. It was built by Navgathi, a Kochi-based firm, which is also behind India's first solar-powered ferry, Aditya.

It will work like a regular taxi on the road - commuters can call the 'water taxi' on a specific number after which the boat will arrive at the said location and ply the commuter to the destination. The passengers will be charged on an hourly basis.