7 facts you need to know about the Ro-Ro Ferry PM inaugurated in Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the RO-RO ferry service in Gujarat on October 22 This new Ro-Ro ferry service will reduce the travel distance between Ghogha and Dahej towns in Gujarat The foundation stone for the project was laid by PM Modi (then CM of Gujarat) in January 2012 The vessel can carry up to 80 trucks (heavy motor vehicles) and 100 light motor vehicles. It can also carry 500 people in the ferry.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today (Oct 22) inaugurated the RO-RO ferry service in Gujarat.  When I was in school, I used to hear that the RO-RO ferry will start. Finally, I had to do it, he said after launching the ferry service.

This new Ro-Ro ferry service will reduce the travel distance between Ghogha and Dahej towns in Gujarat. Though the idea of such a ferry was The idea of the ferry service was initially conceived in the early 1960s. The foundation stone for the project was laid by PM Modi (then CM of Gujarat) in January 2012.

Here are seven facts about the newly launched, PM Modi's dream project Ro-Ro ferry service

1) The RO-Ro ferry means Roll on and Roll off ferry ships which are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, buses and even people.  This is in contrast to lift-on/lift-off which is known as LoLo vessels, which need a crane to load and unload the cargo or vehicles.

2) The distance is the main benefit as the 360 km way is just cut down to 31-km ride between Ghogha and Dahej in the Gulf of Cambay. It means that the travelling time which used to be seven to eight hours has been reduced to just one hour.

3) The ferry has been constructed at the cost of Rs 614 crore, and the Centre has provided an aid of Rs 117 crore for the project.

4) The vessel can carry up to 80 trucks (heavy motor vehicles) and 100 light motor vehicles. It can also carry 500 people in the ferry.

5) However, the first phase of the work has been launched to carry people on the ferry. With the completion of the second phase of work, even vehicles will be ferried.

6) The tenders for the project were invited by the Gujarat government body in charge of marine and ports affairs in 2011 for a ferry along Gujarat’s 1,600 km coastline.

7) In 2016, a private company had tried to build a similar ferry service with the name Kutch-Sagar Setu, but due to technical and financial problems, the project did not take off in Gujarat.