Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a Ro-Pax ferry service between Hazira near Surat and Ghogha in Bhavnagar district today.

The service will reduce the 375 km road distance between Bhavnagar and Surat to 90 km by sea route, Modi said while flagging off the service via video conferencing.

It will save time and fuel, and boost eco and religious tourism in the Saurashtra region of the state, a release issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) earlier said.

The three-deck Ro-Pax Ferry Vessel 'Voyage Symphony' connecting Hazira in Surat district of south Gujarat and Ghogha in Saurashtra's Bhavnagar has a load capacity of 30 trucks, 100 passenger cars, and 500 passengers plus 34 crew and hospitality staff, it said.

The Ro-Pax terminal has wide-ranging facilities, including an administrative office building, a parking area, a sub-station, and a water tower.

The ferry will make three trips daily, the release said, adding that 5 lakh passengers will be transported annually besides 80,000 passenger vehicles, 50,000 two-wheelers and 30,000 trucks.