Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the ''Ropax'' ferry service between Ghogha in Bhavnagar and Hazira in Surat November 8, which will reduce the 370-km road distance between the two places to 60-km by sea route.
"Modi will flag off the service, to carry both passengers and heavy vehicles between the two places located in Saurashtra and south Gujarat, through virtual mode at 11 am on November 8," Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Sunday.
"The prime minister will flag off similar services in other parts of the country also," the Union Minister of State for Shipping said.
"A terminal has been constructed at Hazira, and all preparations are completed. The service will begin on November 8, and booking of tickets will start from tomorrow," he said.
"The Ropax ferry vehicle can transport up to 550 passengers, 30 trucks, seven smaller trucks, and 100 two- wheelers in one trip. It will be an all-weather service which will operate all 12 months irrespective of the weather conditions and high tide," Mandaviya said.
"The coast of Saurashtra is full of potential. There are a number of cement, steel and ship breaking industries, with markets in south India. Through sea connectivity, distance and time can be saved, and such a service will play a big role in industrial development," he said.
This will be important to reduce road, railway congestion, reduce traffic accidents and control pollution," he added.
