Carrying coastal and transshipment containers, motor vessel Chowgule-8 owned by Round the Coast Private Limited reached the Beypore Port on Thursday as part of the resumption of short-sea container shipping service in the State connecting the Vallarpadam container terminal with Beypore and Azhikkal ports. Officials said 40 containers were delivered at the port.
The ship, which was flagged off from Kochi on Wednesday by Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Mansukh Mandaviya, reached the Kozhikode coast by 6 a.m. on Thursday. It was later towed to the port using a tug. The containers mostly carried plywood, tiles, sanitary ware, and textile items.
The short-sea container shipping service, which was suspended nearly three years ago, was resumed following persistent demand from leading importers and exporters forums. According to them, the cost of container shipping by road is too high and time-consuming.
Officials of the Department of Ports said the cargo vessel would be able to operate uninterrupted weekly services. The Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) facility now available at Kannur and Beypore for cargo clearance will attract more stakeholders to minor ports, they said.
Meanwhile, stakeholders have appealed to the State government to consider opening a ship repairing unit near Beypore. According to them, a floating dry dock and ship repair facility under Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) will fetch more revenue for the port.
Local investors said the transportation of petroleum and petroleum products to the north Malabar region could be possible through short-sea service. They pointed out that the government could lease small cargo vessels for the purpose.
