The  Save Guwahati Build Guwahati (SGBG) today appealed to the State government to press into service the new Roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) vessel it has introduced between Guwahati and North Guwahati, for easing out the traffic congestion faced by the people while crossing the new Saraighat Bridge over the Brahmaputra these days.

According to them the RO -Ro vessel should work from 6 a.m to 8 p.m in an hourly interval to ease the traffic congestion.

It needs mention here that the New Saraighat Bridge has started  bearing the entire load of vehicular traffic travelling between Guwahati and north bank destinations for a period of 90 days with effect from March 14, because of the total restriction imposed on vehicular movement for the said period on the old Saraighat Bridge, which is under renovation.

RO-RO vessels are meant for carrying wheeled cargo – cars, trucks, etc. These vessels are loaded and unloaded by means of built-in ramps. The State Inland Waterways Transport Department (IWTD) recently introduced a RO-RO vessel to its fleet of vessels on the Brahmaputra in the Guwahati-North Guwahati sector.

The new Saraighat Bridge is a three-lane one. It was opened for vehicular movement about three years back. But since its inauguration, the number of vehicles travelling between Guwahati and north bank destinations has gone up three-fold. This is because of the fact that people travelling between Guwahati and north bank destinations now prefer their own vehicles to those of the public transport system. Moreover, the number of vehicles in the public transport system, in both public and private sectors, has also gone up significantly.