Team Herald
PANJIM: The launch of the new roll-on roll-off (RoRo) ferries has been rescheduled during the last week of March this year, a senior government official said on Friday.
Speaking to O Heraldo, River and Navigation Department (RND) Director Vikram Rajebhosle said, "The new vessels are deck-mounted. Currently the ferries use shaft and propeller systems beneath the waterline but new ferries will have deck-mounted propulsion system. This new system eliminates the risk of ropes getting entangled in the propeller, which is a common issue for traditional ferries. In case of any malfunction, the propulsion system can be hydraulically shifted below the deck, eliminating the need for a dry deck," he said.
"This innovation will reduce the downtime typically experienced during the monsoon season when ferries are taken to the
River Navigation Department (RND) workshop every 15 days for repairs related to entanglement," said Rajebhosle and added that the government has decided to run two vessels which are coming from Austria on the Ribandar-Chorao route.
He said the Ribandar jetty is likely to be operational by March 15 ahead of the launch of the new two ferries.
Last year, River and Navigation Department (RND) Minister Subhash Phal Dessai had unveiled plans to introduce roll-on roll-off ferries (RoRo) on the Ribandar-Chorao route within six months. However, it got delayed due to the non-arrival of the boats.