For decades now, the ferry transport system in Goa has been heavily utilised, although the routes have been short and quick. The Centre had explored the idea of nationalizing waterways, an idea that got a lot of flak within Goa. Then came the announcement of developing the inland waterways and using them to improve on transport facilities which would directly have a positive impact on the decongestion of urban areas in Goa.
The Sagarmala Project is a good idea to begin with. Goa has around 250 kilometres of navigable waterways and turning large swathes of this into proper transport routes will ease the pressure on the land transport systems. More than that, it will also help in creating one part of a mass public transit system that Goa desperately needs.
There are 18 serviced ferry routes in Goa that carry approximately 25,000 passengers a day, according to official sources. Picture doubling or quadrupling this figure and perhaps even creating goods transport routes that could circumvent the major highways across Goa. The possibilities are tremendous. But there are also factors that are detrimental to the development of waterways in Goa, factors that need to be taken into consideration.
Yes, road transport systems congest urban areas and perhaps even some rural areas. But, they are effective and quick. The distance from the Betim (Panaji) ferry point to Old Goa is approximately 10 kilometres, which takes anything between 20 to 35 minutes to cover by road, depending on traffic and the time of day. During the recent Exposition, a ferry took over 90 minutes from point to point. That is over thrice the time. The Chorao-Panaji ferry route that was stopped in 2012 took over 30 minutes, one of the main reasons why people preferred to hop across to Ribandar and travel by road from there on. Speed is of the essence, which possibly means smaller boats that will have a better power to weight ratio than the current ferries.
The cost factor is another issue. Buying a large number of ferries and letting them travel from point to point is one thing, but who bears the costs? For current 39 ferries that travel the 18 routes, the cost is a massive Rs 22 crores and change. Since there are only charges levied on two and four wheelers, the government generates less than 10 percent of that by way of income. If the ferry routes, as well as the number of boats increase, it would mean a large outlay of expenses that cannot be supplemented completely by income. What will the income-subsidy share in this case be? There might be options to go the PPP way or incorporate other revenue streams to supplement income. An example would be how BEST in Mumbai generates income from advertising.
There is also the matter or end point transport, to enable mixed mode commuting. Simply put, the government would have to ensure ample parking space for those who arrive at ferry points by private vehicles, as well as good connectivity for those who wish to avail of public transport at both ends.
The Sagarmala Project will certainly help decongest urban areas and also ease the pressure of goods transport in Goa. The possibilities are perhaps endless, but implementation here is definitely key. One wrong move and it’ll sink quick.
