Kochi: The city corporation will launch service of modern RO-RO (roll on – roll off) vessels as a Vishu gift. It will resolve travel woes of the west Kochi and Vypeen residents on the risky Fort Kochi–Vypeen route. The vessels will start service probably by April 20. “We are planning to start the operation as early as possible," Mayor Soumini Jain told DC.
"The corporation council meeting scheduled on Wednesday will take a final decision on the date and the proposal to entrust the service with Kerala State Inland Navigation Corporation. The proposal is to entrust them until a special purpose vehicle gets incorporated.”
Construction of the mooring jetty is in the final stage and will be ready in a couple of days. The local body has demanded 50 percent of the net profit from KSINC while the agency has agreed to pay only 30 percent. Though the KSINC is ready to bear the daily expenses, the agency wants the Corporation to carry out the annual maintenance.
Though the Opposition members are not against handing over the service temporarily to KSINC, they have asked the mayor to ensure that the local body is getting increased revenue from the jhunkar service. “The Corporation has been getting nearly Rs 10 lakh from the old jhankar. When modern vessels are launched, it should get more,” said K. J. Antony, the Opposition leader.
The vessels, the first of its kind introduced by any local body in the state, cost Rs 7.98 crore while it spent Rs 7.62 crore for constructing terminals at both jetties.
Each vessel can carry four trucks, 12 cars and 50 passengers. The double-end vessels will help the faster movement of vehicles since both ends will serve as exit and entry. With this, congestion and waiting time at jetties will come down considerably.
