VASCO: River and Navigation Minister Subhash Phal Desai on Sunday stressed on improving waterways transportation in the State by adopting latest technology.
Phal Desai who returned to Goa along with Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar and Mayem MLA Premendra Shet after visiting the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) said that they had visited the CSL to inspect and introduce innovative ideas in the ferryboat services system and to see how we can get fast ferryboats with good load.
Phal Desai said that the government also wants to build new passenger ferryboats so as to boost tourism activities in the State after conducting a study to adopt the new technology. He said that they will soon submit a report to the government in order to decide on how to utilise waterways to the optimum.
Stating that Cochin Shipyard Limited is one of the largest shipbuilding yard with centres for research, training and development across the country, he said the government intends to provide better waterways services passengers and also to tourists to bring about a new scope of tourism.
Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar said that he was impressed with the state-of-the-art double-ended Ro-Ro Ferry technology developed at the CSL. He suggested that the government will replace old ferryboats by these Ro Ro ferryboats with increased passenger load and speedy connectivity. “We also saw metro boats which are like metro trains and if these technologies are adopted in the State, then it will boost tourism activities and also will be a great help to daily commuters.
Mayem MLA Premendra Shet said that the busiest ferryboat route was in his constituency was Chorao-Ribandar route and that he had already submitted a proposal to the government to introduce the latest technology Ro Ro ferryboat on this route.
