The long-awaited Mumbai to Alibaug Ro-Ro car ferry is finally set to start at the end of this month, officials from the Mumbai Port Trust tells CNT. “The operator has been finalised and is in the process of fixing the vessel for the operations. The car ferry will be flagged off by third week of May,” says Capt. Anand Karkare of the Mumbai Port Trust.
Mumbai-Alibaug Ro-Ro car ferry timings
The roll-on, roll-off car ferry—or Ro-Ro—as the service is called will connect Ferry Wharf in Mumbai's Mazgaon to Mandwa, 14km north of Alibaug. The car ferry service will cut the travel time from Mumbai to Alibaug to barely an hour, as against the three or often four hours it takes via road. “The ferry will take between 50-100 cars [including full-sized luxury buses], and up to 500 passengers. “It will cover the distance between Mumbai and Alibaug in 45 minutes, making 6-8 trips per day, Capt Karkare tells CNT. And unlike the Mumbai-Alibaug passenger ferry, which shuts during monsoon, the Ro-Ro car ferry will continue to operate through the rains, except on days when the seas get too choppy.
The vessel, which is getting finishing touches, will have comfortable air-conditioned seating and a refreshments lounge, in addition to a viewing deck. For now, there will be one vessel in service, with another likely to be added in the coming months. The tickets for the service are yet to be finalised, though early reports peg them around Rs500 per vehicle.
This won't be the first Ro-Ro car ferry in India. There are several that operate around the coast particularly in Konkan (Dabhol-Dhopave and Dapoli-Bankot), Goa and Kerala. The Mumbai-Alibaug ferry service has been in the works for several years—but it's finally here. Well, almost.