NEW DELHI: A day after a collision between a ferry and a Navy vessel that claimed that 13 lives near the Mumbai coast, authorities have made it mandatory for passengers to wear life jackets during boat rides from the Gateway of India.
While this safety measure was welcomed by some, others emphasised the need for proper guidance on using life jackets in emergencies.
“Authorities should instruct people on how to use the life jackets in case of an emergency,” some tourists suggested.
Survivors of Wednesday’s accident alleged that the ferry involved in the mishap did not have sufficient life jackets.
Around 100 passengers were rescued from the ferry Neel Kamal, which was carrying over 100 people to Elephanta Island.
Devidas Jadhav, an assistant boat inspector stationed at the Gateway of India, informed PTI that wearing life jackets is now compulsory for passengers traveling to Mandva near Alibaug, Elephanta Island, or taking short harbor rides around Mumbai.
Sangeeta Dalvi, who was traveling to Mandva with her husband, emphasized the importance of life jackets.
“Passengers must use life jackets as they can save lives in case of an emergency,” she said, adding that there was no need for people to panic after the recent tragedy. “Such tragedies do not happen every day. We do not stop traveling by road despite the frequent accidents,” she remarked.
Suyesh Sharma, a tourist from Chhattisgarh, highlighted that life jackets are only effective if passengers know how to use them.
“Life jackets could prove helpful only when you know how to use them. Authorities should also tell people how to use them in case of emergency,” said Sharma, who regularly participates in adventure sports like river rafting.
Boat operators at Bhaucha Dhakka, a dock near Dockyard Road, noted that they often insist on passengers wearing life jackets, but many are reluctant, especially during humid conditions.
Sameer Bamane, a boat owner, explained, “Tourists here do not want to wear the life jacket, but the same people use it without any complaint when they go to other countries like Singapore or Malaysia. It is because the authorities there do not allow a boat to move if even one person is without a life jacket.”
Ferry services operate from Bhaucha Dhakka to trans-harbor locations such as Uran and Revas in the neighboring Raigad district, where operators also face resistance from passengers unwilling to comply with safety protocols.
