19 vessels to join SWTD fleet

Vaikom-Ernakulam AC ferry service to be launched in January next year

November 23, 2017 01:33 am | Updated 01:33 am IST

In view of the low operational cost of the solar ferry in its existing fleet, the SWTD has placed orders for another ferry at an estimated cost of ₹3.15 crore.

In view of the low operational cost of the solar ferry in its existing fleet, the SWTD has placed orders for another ferry at an estimated cost of ₹3.15 crore.

More than half the 53-strong fleet of the Kerala State Water Transport Department (SWTD) will be replaced with faster and modern vessels by August 2018. This is aimed at keeping pace with the first lot of hi-tech ferries that Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) will induct in the Greater Kochi region by early 2019 under the ₹819-crore Water Metro project. The metro agency will operate a total of 78 ferries by 2021.

The SWTD will introduce 19 vessels, which will adhere to safety norms fixed by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). The sole IRS-registered vessel in the department’s existing fleet is the Vaikom-Thavanakadavu solar ferry. Considering its runaway success and rock-bottom operational cost, the department has placed orders for another solar-powered ferry at an estimated cost of ₹3.15 crore.

The 19 vessels in the pipeline include five which can be used to ferry tourists. The development will see 19 ageing steel and wooden ferries being withdrawn from the department’s fleet of 53 vessels. Good ones from among those that are pulled out will be repaired and used as spare ferries, while the rest will be auctioned, said SWTD Director Shaji V. Nair.

Air-conditioned ferries

The department will roll out its first pair of partly air-conditioned ferries in January on the Vaikom-Ernakulam and Alappuzha-Kottayam routes. “Their finishing work is under way at two private boat yards in Aroor. Each ferry, priced at ₹1.90 crore, can accommodate up to 50 passengers in the AC cabin. They will have to pay a marginally higher fare. There will be 70 seats in the non-AC area. The ferry service from Vaikom will operate morning and evening trips on the 35-km stretch. The waterway is safe for navigation as most of it is part of the National Waterway-III,” Mr. Nair said.

The vessel might ferry tourists on backwater cruises from Marine Drive during off-peak hours, it is learnt. The next in line is the introduction of two water taxis by June 2018, for tourists in Ernakulam and Alappuzha.

Costing ₹1.54 crore a piece, they can accommodate 10 passengers and attain a speed of up to 15 knots (27 km per hour). They will be available for hourly rent.

Meanwhile, August 2018 will witness the commissioning of seven catamaran-type, twin-engine ferries, each costing approximately ₹1.80 crore. With seating capacity for 120 passengers, they will operate in Kochi, where commuters have been complaining of ill-maintained boats and inadequate number of services. The vessels will attain up to 10 knots (18 km per hour) speed, which is double the speed of ferries now in operation.

Considering that steel boats rust quickly, the new vessels will be made of fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) which needs less maintenance. It will also ensure less weight, and thus more speed and fuel efficiency.

Another five steel, single-hull ferries will be launched in Alappuzha, where the probability of corrosion is less. Two sister vessels named ‘See Ashtamudi’ will be launched in Kollam by August 2018, to ferry tourists along the pristine backwaters.

Panel to ensure time-bound delivery

Aimed at ensuring quality and time-bound delivery, a high-level technical committee has been set up, comprising officials of IRS, Cusat and SWTD, Mr. Nair said. “The fare structure for tourist and AC vessels will be finalised prior to their launch. We might even offer Wi-Fi connection in the vessels, as many commuters using the Vyttila-Kakkanad ferry service make use of it,” he added.

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