GUWAHATI, March 28 - The State Government has mooted the idea of operating water taxis from the LGBI airport to the city through the Brahmaputra.
In fact, the Inland Water Transport Department plans to launch the service this year itself.
Speaking to journalists ahead of the Namami Brahmaputra festival in the city today, Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said that a feasibility study is being conducted and it would take around two months to complete it.
�We are planning to build a ghat on the Brahmaputra near the airport. Our target is to operate around 50 water taxis on the river initially. We will put ASTC AC buses at the airport which would ferry the passengers to the ghat. From there, the passengers would be brought to the Kachamari ghat in the water taxis,� Patowary said.
IWT director Bharat Bhusan Dev Choudhury said it was observed in a survey that it takes just 18 minutes to reach the airport from Fancy Bazar in a water taxi. The Transport Department is also exploring the idea of including water taxi fee in the flight fares for those passengers who wish to take the service. Discussions are on with airline companies in this regard.
