Panaji is buzzing with excitement as the long-awaited roll-on roll-off (RoRo) ferry service connecting Divar island with Old Goa is all set to sail by mid-2026. River navigation minister Subhash Phal Dessai revealed this on Saturday during the opening of the new ferry ramp at Divar. He gave a hopeful timeline saying, "Say by July, around six to nine months from now, we will start RoRo ferries for the people." But the good news comes with some hurdles! Currently, ferry rides on the Old Goa-Divar route are paused since October 6 to fix urgent repairs on the ferry ramp. The minister blamed delays on poor support from the Public Works Department (PWD) and internal issues within the River Navigation Department (RND). "We don’t have independent authority. We don’t have the capacity to float a tender, and we don’t have engineers. Works remain pending. Our problem is that we don’t have an execution agency. We have to give the work to the PWD or GSIDC. For the last 10 years, works given to the PWD have not yielded any results for us," explained Phal Dessai. Another hot topic is the RoRo ferry fare for locals traveling to Ribandar-Chorao island. Many island residents have opposed the Rs 15 per trip charge. The minister fired back, questioning, "The panchayat should identify the islanders and give them some identification, which when produced, will get them a 50% concession. The rest of the people will pay the current rates. There are people who don’t want to pay Rs 15 also. This is not the proper approach." He warned that if fares are slashed too much, tourists will flood the service, causing big crowds and delays for residents. And about protests disrupting the service, he firmly stated, "These are essential services. If the people’s demand is genuine, we will look into it." So, will the RoRo ferry be a smooth ride or bumpy journey ahead? For now, the countdown to mid-2026 has begun, along with hopes for fair fares and better ferry facilities for Goa’s islanders!