Govt spending Rs 1,900 cr to support 45 Ro-Ro ferry projects: Official

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is financially supporting 45 Ro-Ro (roll-on-roll-off) ferry projects with total cost of Rs 1,900 crore, an official statement said on Thursday.

The ministry has operationalised Ro-Pax (roll-on-roll-off passenger) ferry service between Ghogha-Hazira in Gujarat and Mumbai-Mandwa in Maharashtra, it added.

These services have transported more than 7 lakh passengers and 1.5 lakh vehicles, contributing towards clean environment and public welfare.

In view of the success of these projects and high demand and potential, additional projects are planned at Pipavav and Muldwarka in Gujarat and Ghodbunder, Veldur, Vasai, Kashid, Rewas, Manori and JN Port in Maharashtra, the statement said.

The ministry has prepared a draft of 'Guidelines for Operationalisation of Ro-Ro and Ro-Pax ferry services along the coast of India' after incorporating the preliminary inputs received from the stakeholders.

The statement noted that these guidelines will homogenize and streamline the development and operations of ferry services, along with promoting ease of doing business by eliminating unnecessary delays, disagreements and introducing digital interventions at customer interface.

The guidelines will also help state/UT governments and Port authorities in implementation of such projects by standardization of procedures, it added.