KOCHI: The container trailer operators in Kochi have called for the intervention of the local administration, Cochin Port Trust (CTP) and other stakeholders to take immediate steps to provide parking facility for containers operating in Vallarpadam International Transshipment Terminal in Kochi. The Cochin Container Carrier Owners Welfare Association (CCCOWA) has suspended container services from Wednesday night following the authorities taking punitive action against containers parked on the roadside.
Tommy Thomas, secretary of CCCOWA told DC that it's impossible to operate without proper parking facility. "Parking has to be an integral part of the operation of container terminal and if the authorities fail to take steps to resolve the issue, it will have adverse impact on fortunes of the terminal itself," he said.
Agreeing with the operators' Association, Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industries president C.S. Kartha asked all concerned to take immediate steps to resolve the issue. "The efforts of the Cochin Port Trust to attract containers from states like Tamil Nadu will be futile if the container operators refuse to conduct the services," he said. The failure of the CPT to provide parking lot has led to the present situation, said persons in the know.
“There are several proposals to set up a parking yard in Vallarpadam on lines of a similar facility at Wellingdon Island with the support of Concor,” a source said. But CPT is insisting on an upfront payment of Rs 1 crore besides the lease income, he added. The stubborn stand of CPT is the hurdle for setting up the parking facility, he said.
