Ahmedabad: The Ro Ro ferry service between Hazira in Surat and Ghogha in Bhavnagar resumed operations after a gap of nearly three months on Tuesday.
The ferry service, which reduces the travel time between Surat and Bhavnagar from around eight hours to around an hour, was suspended on July 24 as the vessel “Voyage Symphony” was sent for dry docking, i.e. periodic repair and maintenance. The service is being resumed from Tuesday, October 19, after the trial runs and regulatory clearances.
Officials said the ferry embarked on the Hazira-Ghogha route at 8:00 am today, and would undertake the return journey at 3:00 in the afternoon.
The service is being resumed just before Diwali, when lakhs of people from Saurashtra living in Surat return home for the holidays. A large majority of these people are from Bhavnagar and adjacent Amreli, making the ferry an ideal service for them.
The ferry allows passengers to travel along with their two-wheelers and four-wheelers. The ferry service also allows buses with passengers, besides transport vehicles.
DG Connect, which runs the Ro Ro ferry service, said in a statement that bookings for the month of October have begun, while bookings for November will resume from October 23.