Four days into its operation, the newly introduced ferry service of the Kochi Corporation in the Fort Kochi-Vypeen sector is overcrowded with passengers.
Yet, those at the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC), which manages the service for the civic body, are far from happy. The absence of a spare vessel and the need for additional hands for the daily maintenance of the vessel, Fort Queen , is worrying them.
The boat was introduced as an alternative facility for passengers as the jankar service had to be withdrawn for the construction of the mooring facility for the Roll On-Roll Off vessel.
Though the new boat was expected to operate 54 trips, it is operating 60 trips a day. There is also good passenger turnout, said KSINC commercial manager Cyril V. Abraham.
Considering the number of passengers, the service hours of the boat were extended. These days, the vessel is operated till 9.45 p.m. The trip timings will be fine-tuned after obtaining schedule from the Kochi Corporation, he said.
Though a new vessel, the absence of a spare boat for Fort Queen is worrying the authorities. Both KSINC and the Kochi Corporation have no standby vessels. It is the responsibility of the corporation to find a spare vessel, which has to be deployed in case Fort Queen develops technical snags, he said.
It will take some more time for a new vessel of the KSINC to arrive in Kerala waters from the boat building yard at Goa. Till then, KSINC will have to keep Fort Queen in good shape. The agency is planning to raise the issue of additional hands for the maintenance of the vessel. Currently, 16 persons are working in two shifts in the vessel. More men need to be employed for the upkeep of the vessel, and the local body will have to bear its cost, Mr. Abraham said.
Meanwhile, P.M. Harris, chairman of the works standing committee, said the monitoring committee of the civic body formed for overseeing boat operations would review the situation next week.
The committee will meet passengers as well as the KSINC authorities to take stock of the situation and take adequate measures to ensure that the boat is operated safely and successfully, he said. Passenger inflow is likely to go up in the coming weeks as the Fort Kochi area will turn out to be the hub of festivities, he said.
