The Goa government will on Monday launch the first Roll on-Roll off (Ro-Ro) service in the Mandovi river connecting Chorao island to capital city Panaji, replacing the conventional ferry boats, a state minister has said.
The travel time from the island to mainland with the Ro-Ro service would be just 12 minutes, as against 30 minutes taken by the conventional ferry boats, state River Navigation Department Minister Subhash Phal Desai told PTI.
The Ro-Ro ferry boats have a facility to drive in from one side and drive out from another, thereby reducing the time of travel for the passengers and eradicating the inconvenience, the minister said.
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He said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will launch the service on Monday, marking the beginning of a new and faster facility for the islanders who have to travel through the Mandovi river in the absence of a bridge.
The Ro-Ro ferries - named as Gangotri and Dwarka - have been built by the Goa-based Vijai Marines Shipyards, which would be operating it on the Built-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis, the minister said.
Each Ro-Ro ferry can carry up to 40 two-wheelers and 15 cars, he said, adding the boat has a capability to manoeuvre 360 degrees in case of emergencies.
The boat is equipped with lifejackets for safety and has a unique feature of separate air conditioned compartment for passengers with a sitting capacity of 50, the minister said. The government has decided to offer this service free of cost to passengers and two-wheelers, while cars will be charged Rs 15 each, Phal Desai said.
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