KOCHI: Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched the roll-on, roll-off ferry (Ro-Ro) service in Gujarat, two Ro-Ro vessels which were built for Kochi are yet to begin service.
The vessels, constructed by Cochin Shipyard Ltd(CSL) were handed over to the Corporation earlier this year. However, the lack of supporting infrastructure has resulted in the Ro-Ro service failing to take off. Though the Corporation is planning to launch the service this week, there is no consensus yet on how the service ought to be run.
The Ro-Ro service launched by the Prime Minister, which can ferry people and goods, including vehicles, is the first of its kind in India. The ro-ro has been designed to carry up to 100 vehicles (cars, buses, and trucks) and 250 passengers.The ro-ro project’s first phase was completed at a cost of `615 crore. However, the Ro-Ro jhankar for Kochi which was completed a year ago is designed to accommodate 18 cars plus 50 passengers or 12 cars and four 10-tonne trucks in addition to 50 passengers. The vessels which are 27 m-long and 8.25 m-wide have a top speed of eight knots. They are provided with ramps on either side, both in the forward and aft, which eliminate the need for reverse parking of the vehicles on the ferry. The ferry takes around three minutes to cross the 600-metre distance between the two stations.
Though the vessels were handed over in July, the Kochi Corporation is yet to commence the services. If the services had begun, it will definitely ease the travel woes of West Kochi to a certain extent. Following the delay encountered, Kochi also lost the opportunity to be the first state in the country to have the Ro-Ro service.
“However, we cannot compare both the RO-Ro vessels. The one which as launched on Friday by the PM is a huge vessel. The two vessels constructed for Kochi were built at a minimal cost of `35 crore,” according to experts.
The Ro-Ro vessels constructed for Kochi is quite different from the normal ferry. The double-ended ferry with propulsors and ramps at both ends of the vessel will help the vehicles to move in one direction thereby reducing the time taken for embarking or disembarking vehicles and also avoid turning of the vessel while leaving the jetty. This enables the vessel to be operated without having to turn around at the jetty during cast off.