The Cochin Port Trust on Friday sent 30 containers through the coastal waterway to Beypore port near Kozhikode in the wake of containers piling up in the port after lorry operators began boycotting Container Road a week ago in protest against the imposition of toll.
Of the 30 containers, 26 had tiles and the balance four rice. They were dispatched in the river-sea vessel (RSV) Great Sea Vembanadu . The vessel also brought 43 empty containers from Beypore to Cochin, the port said in a press release. The port had on Thursday finalised plans to use ships and trains to ferry containers to northern Kerala.
Strike withdrawn
Meanwhile, container lorry operators withdrew their strike on Friday, following a direction issued by District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to temporarily halt toll collection from container lorries till February 12 morning. The direction was given after talks with representatives of the NHAI and lorry operators. Thus, 20 to 40-feet containers will be exempted from toll.
The district administration had sought the State government’s intervention since talks held with agitators earlier this week ended in stalemate. K.J. Maxi, MLA, was among those present at Friday’s meeting. The Cochin Container Carrier Owners’ Welfare Association has in the meantime said that a decision has been taken wherein the exporter/importer or the Customs broker concerned would pay the additional expense due to the newly imposed toll on Container Road. A final decision on the toll issue is expected at a meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Monday.
Parking problems
There seems to be no end to container trailers being parked haphazardly on either side of the accident-prone Container Road which does not have street lights. Port sources said that a total of 870 container lorries can be parked in around 20 acres of dedicated parking space on Willingdon Island, Bolghatty, Vallarpadam, and Vypeen. Many of them are on the verge of closure for want of adequate patronage from lorry operators.
Responding to lorry operators seeking resumption of the roll-on roll-off ferry service between Willingdon Island and Bolghatty, they said that the service was withdrawn due to low patronage from lorry operators who continued to take the circuitous route through the congested Kundannoor and Seaport-Aiport road.
