KOCHI: Having faced flak from west Kochiites over the unscientific timing of the newly launched ferry service between Fort Kochi and Vypeen, the Kochi Corporation on Tuesday decided to implement a new schedule. Set to be in practice from Wednesday, the new timings will see KSINC conducting the ferry service every ten minutes from both jetties. The decision was taken during a meeting convened by Mayor Soumini Jain with the KSINC authorities on Wednesday at her chamber.
The Corporation’s move to hold a meeting with the KSINC officers came after the public came down heavily against the operating agency which had delayed each service by around 20-30 minutes since the opening day of its launch. “We have sorted out all issues pertaining to the operation of the newly launched ferry service,” the Mayor said after the meeting. “We are not bothered whether the project will fetch us profit or not. All we are concerned is the requirement of the people.”
The Corporation has also fixed a time schedule which is expected to be displayed at the jetties by Wednesday. “A four-member committee has also been appointed to take care of any issue that may arise in the operation of the ferry,” the Mayor said. However, the Corporation is still groping in the dark to find an additional passenger boat should the ferry service face technical issues. The move to introduce the new service came after the Fort Kochi boat tragedy of 2015 which had claimed 11 lives.