KOCHI: The Kochi Port’s decision to temporarily discontinue the Ro Ro (roll-on roll off) service has worsened congestion on arterial roads and junctions in the city and its immediate suburbs.
The service used to ferry an average of 200 container-laden lorries in the Willingdon Island-Bolghatty Island sector through the backwaters, ever since it was launched in 2011.
The Ro Ro vessel, operated by a private firm, was taken off service in June following contractual issues between the firm and the port.
This had led to trailer lorries being taken through congested roads, during peak and off-peak hours. They now take either the NH Bypass-Kalamassery-Container Road route or the Airport-Seaport Road to commute between terminals in the two islands, covering a distance of up to 40 km.
Sources in the port said the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) would invite tenders for a fresh Ro Ro operator, since it had built cargo terminals on both the isles. “We are finalising documents and expect to float tender in a week. The Ro Ro service will be restored by year end if everything works well,” said a senior IWAI official.
While the port has suffered revenue loss due to declining productivity at its container freight station (CFS), container-lorry operators are forced to spend more on fuel and wages to ferry cargo through cumbersome roads.
Meanwhile, Cochin Container Carrier Owners’ Welfare Association president Chandrasekhara Menon said the Ro Ro service was a blessing for all stakeholders.
“The service that will resume shortly will get more patronage since more container lorries are expected once approach roads to the recently-opened Kannanghat Bridge are ready,” he added.
The bridge will also lessen the distance between Willingdon Island and Edakochi by 6 km, besides enabling vehicles to skip Kundanoor and Thopumpady junctions.
