The Maharashtra government has launched a new Ro-Ro (Roll-On, Roll-Off) ferry service connecting Mumbai and Konkan, following the success of its ferry service between Mumbai and Alibaug. The service, starting on 1 September, is expected to drastically reduce travel time and offer an effective alternative to the hours spent in traffic on the Mumbai-Goa highway, especially during peak festive periods like Ganeshotsav and Holi.
Ro-Ro ferry: Full details- Ticket costs, travel time
The Ro-Ro ferry will cut the journey between Mumbai and Jaigad (Ratnagiri) to just three hours, while the journey from Mumbai to Vijaydurg (Sindhudurg) will take just five hours, less than half the usual 10-12 hours of travel time required by road.
The Ro-Ro ferry ticket prices are designed to be accessible for a range of budgets. Here are prices for each category:
- Economy Class: ₹2,500 per person
- Premium Economy: ₹4,000 per person
- Business Class: ₹7,500 per person
- First Class: ₹9,000 per person
The service also has provision to carry vehicles, with fares set at ₹6,000 for cars, ₹1,000 for two-wheelers, and ₹600 for bicycles, allowing families to bring their own transport for seamless onward travel. The ferry is capable of carrying 50 four-wheelers and 30 two-wheelers.
A game-changer for Konkan residents
Hailed as South Asia’s fastest Ro-Ro ferry, the service is a major initiative by the Maharashtra government to improve inter-city travel convenience.
According to Fisheries and Port Development Minister Nitesh Rane, the project has received all 147 necessary permits and has been implemented with world-class safety standards, Hindustan Times reported.
This service is part of the state government’s vision to enhance connectivity between cities and provide relief to all those people who travel to their native places during the peak festive seasons.
Built on success of Mumbai-Alibaug route
The new Mumbai-Konkan route builds on the success of the existing Ro-Ro ferry service between Mumbai and Mandwa (Alibaug).
The Mumbai-Alibaug service, which takes around an hour, has made the popular coastal town far more accessible for tourists and residents by eliminating the long road journey, which typically takes over three hours.
This new service is just a part of a wider network. Minister Nitesh Rane called this the beginning of building something bigger, with plans to add more stops like Shrivardhan and Mandwa in the near future. The long-term vision is to extend the service even further, providing a direct ferry connection all the way to Goa, a news report by Hindustan Times said.