Gujarat's Ro-Ro ferry to cut down 6.5 hour trip to 90 minutes

The first phase of Roll on, Roll off (Ro-Ro) ferry has begun between Dahej and Ghogha. Initially, only the passengers will be able to use this service. The second phase is expected to be rolled out in 2 months which will be able to carry cars and the third phase will have ferries that will be able to transport trucks.

Gujarat has one of the largest coastline among the states in India. The ferry will cut short the almost 300 km route to just 30 km. If successful, similar projects will be undertaken all over India.

This Ro-Ro ferry has been undertaken by Essar Projects, and the service will be extended to other locations across the Gulf of Khambat and Gulf of Kutch at a later stage. Future plans include linking the state of Gujarat with Mumbai and other southern states of India. It is funded by the government of Gujarat and the central government's Sagarmala project. The Sagarmala project aims to utilize the vast maritime resources of India, including the large coastline and other inland waterways. The project aims to provide a boost to the Indian economy with logistics and mobility across the waterways.

Apart from the potential time and monetary savings, such a ferry service will promote the regional development as well.

Source - Economic Times