Mumbai-Surat AC ferry service planned for Nov start: Guj govt

In principle approval has been given for a ferry service between Mumbai and Surat and operations are likely to begin in November this year, the Gujarat government said in a release on Saturday.

The air-conditioned passenger ferry service, with 20 rooms and with a capacity of 300 passengers, will operate between Hazira port in Surat and Bandra in Mumbai once a week to start with, and its frequency will be increased depending on public response, it added.

"As per in principal approval, the service will begin from November this year, with the ship initially operating once a week. Its frequency will be increased in the future based on the passenger traffic," the released said.

"Initially, the cruise ship will start from Bandra at 7 pm Thursday, and will arrive at Hazira port at 9 am on the next day. Its return journey will begin at 6 pm Friday from Hazira, reaching Bandra at 8 pm Saturday," it said.

The Gujarat government operates a roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) passenger cum cargo ferry service between Dahej in Surat and Ghogha in Bhavnagar district under a public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

In another development, the release said the state will get a Rs 45 crore early warning dissemination system for early information on cyclones along its 1,600-km coastline.

The system will be built by the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority under National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project, a joint undertaking of National Disaster Management Authority and World Bank, the government said.

The state has provided Rs 20 crore its operation and maintenance for the first five years, it said.