RoRo ferry fares notified, free rides for local pedestrians and two-wheeler users

Panaji: State govt has notified fee rates for the Ribandar-Chorao ferry route, with the new charges set to come into effect from July 7. The move comes even as the much-anticipated roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) ferries for the route are yet to be launched.The good news for daily commuters is that pedestrians and two-wheeler riders will continue to travel free of cost for their daily commute between Ribandar and Chorao.The river navigation department (RND) earlier proposed introducing fares for the two RoRo ferries planned for the busy route. As reported by TOI on June 13, the proposal included a fee of Rs 10 to be levied for two-wheeler users, but this has now been waived.“The villagers appealed to us that since the majority of them travel using two-wheelers, it would not be feasible to pay the fare every day,” an RND official said.The official notification said that cars, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers will be charged Rs 30 per trip. Frequent users can opt for a monthly pass priced at Rs 900. Medium commercial vehicles and medium passenger vehicles will be charged Rs 100 per trip, with a monthly pass costing Rs 1,500.

Heavy motor vehicles and heavy passenger vehicles weighing less than 10 tonnes will face a higher toll of Rs 400 per trip but can avail of a monthly pass for Rs 6,000. Cargo vehicles will be charged at Rs 50 per tonne.However, the free ride facility will not extend to tourists using the RoRo ferries. Tourists riding rental bikes will have to pay Rs 100 per trip, while those in rental cars will be charged Rs 300 per trip.Tourists looking for a joyride on the ferries will be charged a nominal Rs 50 per trip.“The introduction of fees for private vehicles is aimed at generating revenue to maintain and improve ferry operations, especially with the launch of RoRo services,” the official said.