Gujarat planning to start `Roll On Roll Off' ferry services

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday that his government is planning to start seven or eight new RoRo ferry services. Some of these `Roll On Roll Off' (RoRo) services could be extended to Mumbai, he said, while responding to a question about Ghogha-Dahej ferry service.

RoRo ferry boats transport both passengers and their vehicles, however, at present, the Ghogha-Dahej service only transports passengers.

"Ghogha-Dahej ferry service is one of its kind in India. Now we are planning to start seven or eight such ferry services, as people in Kutch, Jamnagar, and Bhavnagar feel the need for such services for better connectivity," Rupani said.

"For example, people in Kutch want to go directly to Mumbai (by the sea route). So we have planned to extend the service up to Mumbai from places such as Jamnagar, Kutch, and Pipavav," the chief minister said.

Congress's Chandanji Thakor had raised the issue of the ferry service between Ghogha in Saurashtra and Dahej in South Gujarat, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year, seeking to know its status. Energy minister Saurabh Patel said the service is not operational during monsoon.

The private agency which runs the service has commissioned a new and bigger boat, and the service will resume next month, the minister said. As many as 54,639 passengers have used the service so far, he said.