Ferry service plan for cars gets a push

Your dream of transporting your four-wheeler on a boat across the Arabian Sea till Mandva may soon become a reality.

Your dream of transporting your four-wheeler on a boat across the Arabian Sea till Mandva may soon become a reality.

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As, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has appointed i-Maritime Consultants to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the Roll-On Roll-Off (RORO) services, which will assist in the transportation of vehicles, between Ferry Wharf and Mandva (Old RCF Jetty).

At the cost of Rs 18 lakh, the consultant is expected to complete the DPR by February. With requisite clearances from the government, the MMRDA is hoping that the project could get operational by 2012.

“The ferry service will provide faster connectivity to commuters travelling from Ferry Wharf to Alibaug, Wadkhal Naka and Konkan. The service will benefit the commuters travelling up to Mumbai-Goa highway as they can load their vehicles on the ferries,” joint project director Dilip Kawathkar said.

The RORO ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers or railroad cars. The service will benefit travellers heading to Konkan or Goa in private vehicles and save them a 180-minute journey to reach Alibaug by road.

At present, people who use private vehicles to reach Konkan or Goa have to take a detour from Chembur to Pen and then Wadkhad Naka till Alibaug to meet the Mumbai-Goa Highway. This journey takes about three hours on a congested road stretch.

MMRDA will build a jetty at Ferry Wharf and will use the RCF jetty at Mandva. “The BPT has assured us that it will allow us to construct the jetty at Ferry Wharf,” Gaikwad added.