TRANSPORTATION
Floating water taxis offer clean commutes on urban rivers
Electric fleets cut congestion by shifting travelers onto waterways across the floating economy.
Image by New York Water Taxi.
Cities are rethinking how to move people across rivers and canals. Floating water taxis—small passenger boats running scheduled or on-demand routes—are being electrified to reduce emissions and ease road congestion.
Recent projects highlight this trend:
Bangkok launches electric taxi boats in 2025. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced its first electric water taxis, scheduled to start service in July 2025. The pilot connects major canal routes with metro and bus stations, providing a cleaner option in a city long reliant on river traffic.
Dubai upgrades water taxi fleet. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority is modernizing its water taxi system with hybrid-electric vessels and expanded routes. By late 2025, new features will include cashless payment, faster boarding, and improved passenger amenities, aligning with the city’s 2030 clean mobility targets.
Stockholm pilots hydrofoil electric ferry ‘Nova’. In late 2024, Stockholm introduced Nova, an electric hydrofoil ferry that cuts energy use by 80% compared to diesel boats. The vessel can carry 30 passengers at higher speeds with minimal wake, showing how waterborne commuting can be fast, clean, and efficient.
SeaBubbles Water Taxi.
That’s not all: transport planners in Europe and Asia are studying autonomous navigation systems to allow water taxis to run at higher frequency with lower labor costs. Analysts expect global ridership for electric water taxis to grow steadily through 2030 as cities invest in climate-resilient transport.
—TFE
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