The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on 16th June 2022, under its Sagarmala Programme, has embarked on developing an ecosystem for promotion of Ro-Ro (Roll-on, Roll-off) ferry and waterway transportation in the country and has prepared draft of “Guidelines for Operationalization of Ro-Ro and Ro-Pax ferry service along the coast of India”.
The guidelines encompass the two aspects of ferry operation namely; concessions for terminal operation and license for operation of Ro-Pax vessels. These guidelines will homogenize and streamline the development and operations of ferry services, along with, promoting ease of doing business by eliminating unnecessary delays, disagreements and introducing digital interventions at customer interface. They will also help State/UT Governments and Port Authorities in implementation of such projects by standardization of procedures. Further, it will help in instilling confidence among the private players thereby increasing their participation and promoting healthy competition in such projects.
The Ministry intends to seek feedback and suggestions on the draft guidelines for operationalization of Ro-Ro and Ro-Pax ferry service along the coast of India from all stakeholders. The document can be accessed from the websites of the MoPSW and Sagarmala on the links https://shipmin.gov.in/ and https://sagarmala.gov.in/ respectively and suggestions can be sent to sagar.mala@gov.in the proforma attached as Annexure I of the guidelines within 21 days from the date of publication.
