Passenger associations, social activists and non-governmental organisations have sought speedy measures by the Kochi Corporation to introduce the third roll on, roll off (ro-ro) ferry in the passenger-dense Fort Kochi-Vypeen corridor, while terming the ₹15-crore capital investment on the vessel as prohibitive.
Fearing that the ₹15 crore that Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML) has allotted to the Corporation could lapse due to “inadequate will power” of the civic body, Francis Chammany, president of Vypeen-Fort Kochi Passengers’ Association, said the forum was in the dark about the specifications and the expense of the proposed vessel. “The two ro-ro ferries that have been operating in the corridor since 2019 together cost less than ₹10 crore. The price tag of the proposed vessel, that was put at ₹10 crore, was subsequently increased to ₹15 crore. This could have been avoided if a design, plan and estimate for the vessel had been readied in advance. Both the Corporation and CSML must convince members of the public about the third ro-ro project and its cost,” he added.
“The ₹15-crore price tag of the third such vessel is prohibitive, since it can be built for between ₹7 crore and ₹10 crore, including the profit amount. It is also noteworthy that operating a bigger ro-ro ferry in the corridor is not practical now, since there are constraints in berthing it at Vypeen jetty,” said Haris Aboo, a Fort Kochi-based social activist. He added that a third vessel ought to be built fast to prevent disruption of service when any of the two existing vessels were withdrawn due to technical snags.
