The Goa Ferries Act, 1990

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GOVERNMENT OF GOA 
Law (Legal and Legislative Affairs) Department 
 
Notification 
7-13-90/LA 
The Goa Ferries Act, 1990 (Goa Act No. 9 of 1990) which was passed by the 
Legislative Assembly of Goa on 2-8-1990 and assented to by the Governor of Goa 
on 10-9-1990, is hereby published for the general information of the public. 
P. V. Kadnekar, Under Secretary (Drafting). 
Panaji, 10th September, 1990. 
 
The Goa Ferries Act, 1990 
(Goa Act No. 9 of 1990)  [10-9-1990] 
AN 
ACT 
to regulate the use of ferries in the State of Goa. 
Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Goa in the Forty-first Year of the 
Republic of India as follows:— 
 
1. Short title, extent and commencement.— (1) This Act may be called the Goa 
Ferries Act, 1990. 
(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Goa. 
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification in the 
Official Gazette, appoint. 
2. Definitions.— In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 
(a) ‘Captain of Ports’ means the Captain of Ports of the Government; 
(b) ‘channel’ means any canal, river, lake, backwaters, creeks or other navigable 
waterways; 
(c) ‘ferry’ means a place at which goods or passengers or vehicles are conveyed 
across a channel by means of vessels, and includes also the approaches to and landing 
places of a ferry; 
(d) ‘Government’ means the Government of Goa; 
(e) ‘lessee’ means any person who holds right of tolls at public ferry on lease; 
(f) ‘notification’ means a notification published in the Official Gazette; 
(g) ‘Official Gazette’ means the Official Gazette of the Government; 
(h) ‘prescribed’ means prescribed by rules made under this Act; 
(i) ‘public ferry’ means a ferry which is declared to be a public ferry under the 
provisions of this Act. 
 
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3. Power to declare, establish, define limits or routes and discontinue public 
ferries.— The Government may by notification, from time to time,— 
(a) declare as to which ferry shall be public ferry, and the respective districts in 
which for the purposes of this Act it shall be deemed to be situated; 
(b) establish new public ferries where, in its opinion, they are needed; 
(c) define the limits of any public ferry; 
(d) define or alter the routes of navigation at any public ferry; and 
(e) discontinue any public ferry which it deems unnecessary: 
Provided that when a channel lies between the State and the othe r State, the powers 
conferred by this section shall, in respect of such channel, be exercised by the 
Government in accordance with the provision of an agreement with the Government of 
the other State, which provision shall be notified by the Government in the Official 
Gazette. 
 
4. Power to cause levy of toll. — (1) The Government may, by notification, fix such 
rates of toll to be levied on all vessels for the use of approaches to and landing places of a 
public ferry. 
(2) The Government may, by notification, fix such rates of toll to be levied on 
all persons, animals, vehicles and other things crossing any river at a public ferry and 
not employed or transmitted on the service of the Government or the Government of 
India: 
Provided that the Government may, from tim e to time by a notification or a special 
order, exempt from payment of such toll any person, animal or vehicle or other things as 
may be specified therein. 
5. Power of Government to lease levy of tolls. — It shall be lawful for the 
Government to lease levy of tolls at the rates fixed under section 4 in respect of any  
public ferry by public auction or contract from year to year or for a longer period not 
exceeding three years on such terms and conditions as the Government may deem fit. 
6. Powers and liabilities of lessees and their Agents.— All persons employed by the 
Government in the management and collection of toll levied under section 4 and where 
the right to collect toll has been leased under section 5, the lessee and every person 
appointed by t he lessee as his agent for the purpose of collection of such toll shall be 
deemed, within the meaning of section 7, to be an officer appointed to collect the toll and 
shall exercise all the powers and be subject to all the obligations and liabilities attac hing 
persons so appointed. 
7. Power of seizure. — In case of non -payment of any such toll on demand, the 
officers appointed to collect the same may seize any vessel, vehicle or animal or goods  
on which it is chargeable and, if any toll remains un -discharged within twenty four hours 
of such seizure, the officer concerned shall report the matter to the Captain of Ports who 
may sell such property for discharge of the toll and all expenses occasioned due to such 
non-payment, seizure and sale and cause the balance i f any that may remain to be  
returned on demand to the owner of the property: 
Provided that, if at any time before the sale the person whose property has been seized 
tenders the toll due and all the expenses incurred the said officer shall forthwith release  
the property seized. 
 
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8. Assistance by the Police Officers. — All Police officers shall when required, be 
bound to assist the officer appointed to collect the toll by exercising all powers they have 
in the exercise of their common Police duty. 
9. Exhibition of t able of tolls and statement of penalties. — The Captain of Ports 
shall cause a table of the tolls authorised to be charged and put up at all public ferries in 
writing or printed in the official language and also in such other languages as may be 
prescribed. 
10. Penalties.— (1) Whoever fails to pay the toll or uses any public ferry without 
paying the toll or obstructs any officer appointed to collect the toll in any way in exercise 
of his duties under the Act shall be liable to pay such amount as may be prescribed as 
penalty. 
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11. Power to make rules.— The Government may, by notification, make rules 
generally for the purpose of carrying out the purposes of this Act. 
 
 
Secretariat Annexe, B. S. SUBBANNA, 
Panaji, Goa. Secretary to the Government of Goa 
Dated: 10th September, 1990. Law Department (Legal Affairs) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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1.  Sub-section (2) omitted vide Amendment Act 8 of 2023. Original sub -section read as follows: - (2) Any person 
who is liable to pay any penalty under sub -section (1) on his refusal to pay such penalty shall, on conviction, be 
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine which shall not be less than the 
penalty payable under sub-section (1) or with both. 

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