Bharuch: Ghogha – Dahej passenger ferry service will be suspended from January 5 for temporary period for installation of link span on Ghogha side.

While there’s permenent link span installed on Dahej side, the Ghogha side facility has just a walkway and not link span. Due to lack of link span on Ghogha side, the Gujarat Maritime Board(GMB) is able to operate only passenger ferry service and not full-scale ro-ro ferry service. While passenger service can only carry passengers with fix weight of luggage, the ro ro ferry service will also be able to carry vehicles in the ship.

Passenger ferry service’s online booking are discontinued from January 3 onward period due to link span installation which is planned.

A link span for Ghogha is at present located in Dahej. It will be carried across sea to Ghogha in barge and later installed using heavy duty cranes.

GMB statement

The service started on October 22 has so far carried 21,000 passengers. The ferry boat operates daily in four schedules. World’s longest 96 x 7/5 meter link span is installed at Dahej which has capacity of 820 tonne. Ghogha link span installation will start now. After completion of installation ro ro ferry operation will become possible. The installation work may complete in the middle of January. The link span will replace existing walkway. The entire operation of installation work will take 15 days period. To make this possible, GMB will suspend ferry services during 5-20 January. Ferry service will start operation from January 21.

DeshGujarat