PANJIM: The Panjim-Betim and Ribandar-Chorao ferry routes have maximum takers than the other ferryboat routes in the State.
There are total 18 ferryboat routes across the State and the river navigation department (RND) is operating 27 ferryboats on these routes.
Passengers travelling on Panjim-Betim ferry route was highest 7038 per day while, five ferryboats operating on Ribandar-Chorao route has 4634 passengers per day, River Navigation Minister Milind Naik has informed Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte in a written reply.
The increased number of vehicles on Panaji-Betim road via Mandovi bridge and traffic congestion is learnt to have made this ferry service more enduring for the people particularly during peak hours.
On the other hand in the absence of proper road access and bridge, the Chorao islanders have to depend on Ribandar-Chorao ferryboats for their travel.
Raia-Shiroda ferryboat has more than 2200 passengers per day while, the number of commuters on Ribandar-Old Goa was more than 1600 per day and Sao Pedro-Divar was more than 1000 per day. All these routes have two ferryboats each.
Meanwhile, according to Damodar Bhatkar, a regular commuter from Verem said that there was need for more ferryboats on Panjim-Betim route during morning and evening hours. He said that though the distance is covered in five minutes, the lone ferryboat make trips after every 30 minutes.
Bhatkar further said that due to traffic congestion on Porvorim-Panaji road, large number of people mostly office-goers uses ferryboat to cut down on travel time. He also suggested that the timing of last ferryboats on either side be extended up to 11 am.
In Goa, the travel in ferryboats is free for commuters and two-wheelers even as the government in the past had tried to commercialise ferry routes.
To another question tabled by Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat, the Minister said that the government has not received any proposal from the Government of India for full or partial privatisation of river navigation in Goa.
Naik also informed Kamat that the government has no proposal to conduct the study to access the impact of urban water transport project on the environment and marine life of Goa.
