KOCHI: The Ro-Ro (Roll-on Roll-off) barge service between Willingdon and Bolgatty islands has successfully reduced 2.2 lakh container trailers from the Kochi roads, ever since it was launched around five years ago.
The Ro-Ro service was introduced in February 2011 with the goal of reducing movement of trucks to the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICCT).
Each barge has the capacity to carry 20 container trucks, which prevents movement of trucks from South Kerala during day-time.
The Ro-Ro service has significantly reduced movement of container trucks to Vallarpadam through the Kundannoor junction, along the busy roads of Vyttila, Palarivattom and Edappally. Since container trucks are not permitted on the city roads during day time, truckers need to take the alternate route to Vallarpadam, which is 45 km long.
“Container trucks coming from Kollam and Allappuzha take deviation at Kundannoor to proceed to Willingdon Island and are transported on Ro-Ro barges from the Willingdon jetty to Bolgatty. At the Bolgatty Ro-Ro jetty, the trucks are driven out to the ICTT. Movement of the Ro-Ro barge through the canal takes only 20 minutes,” said officials of the Cochin Port Trust.
This is the first Ro-Ro service introduced in the country for container movement. The barge is a double-ended ferry that can be driven to both directions, saving operational time. The service, which is operated by LOTS Shipping Company, is jointly managed and supported by the Cochin Port Trust and Inland Waterways Authority of India.