The Maharashtra government has given the green signal to South Asia’s fastest roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) ferry service reportedly.
With this initiative, the Indian transportation world has welcomed a new milestone in the country’s history.
Nod To Ro-Ro Ferries
This project would connect Mumbai to Konkan via Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri which is ready to be launched on September 1, 2025.
If you are wondering about this, Ro-Ro ferry service is a type of water transport allowing passengers to drive any vehicle directly onto the vessel, travel across water and drive to their destination.
When it comes to the Ro-Ro ferries, they are unlike the traditional ferries, eliminating the need to unload and reload cargo separately.
This would not only reduce the road congestion but also helps with the fuel costs and saves time.
Now travellers have the choice to opt for this Mumbai-Konkan Ro-Ro ferry service to avoid taking the traffic-laden Mumbai-Goa highway and busy train routes.
This would also help in reducing the travel time significantly, especially in the festive season.
The Fisheries and Port Development Minister Nitesh Rane announced the launch of the Ro-Ro ferry service by sharing an elaborate note on X On Tuesday, August 26.
Further, he addressed this venture as a “golden moment in the history of Konkan,” adding, “The M2M Princess Mumbai to Konkan Ro-Ro boat service is soon to commence. Today, I inspected this modern and fastest boat in Asia, the M2M Princess.”
Mumbai-Konkan Ro-Ro Ferry Service Travel Time And Availability
It appears that the ferry service was initially planned to commence before Ganesh Chaturthi, said Nitesh Rane.
Although, this plan was cancelled due to disruptive weather conditions, “As per the meteorological department reports, the weather conditions are now improving. We will conduct a test run over the next five days and commence the commercial service on September 1,” Nitesh Rane noted.
This ferry will hugely reduce the travel time from Mumbai to Jaigad in Ratnagiri, it can be covered in just 3-4 hours.
This way, the distance between Mumbai and Vijaydurg in Sindhudurg can be completed in 5-6 hours.
Once they secure the 147 permissions for this service, this vessel will set sail in Mumbai from Bhau Cha Dhakka at 6:30 am before starting its return journey two hours after reaching Vijaydurg.
What About The Fare?
The Ro-Ro boat service which is yet-to-be-launched has the capacity to carry 50 four-wheelers, 30 two-wheelers, and several minibuses.
Below are the fare details which will come handy while using these ferry services.
Economy Class (552 seats): Rs 2,500
Premium Economy Class (44 seats): Rs 4,000
Business Class (48 seats): Rs 7,500
First Class (12 seats): Rs 9,000
Cars: Rs 6,000
Two-wheelers: Rs 1,000
Bicycles: Rs 600
Minibus: Rs 13,000
30-seater bus: Rs 14,500
45-seater bus: Rs 17,000
Buses larger than 45-seaters: Rs 21,000
