KOCHI: Despite requests from various NGOs to repair the out-of-service Roll-on Roll-off vessel Sethusagar 1 for more than one month, daily commuters and tourists on the Vypeen-Fort Kochi route are severely affected as the authorities have turned blind eye to their travel woes. Fort Queen passenger boat that began operations on the route as relief, considering the tourist footfall this festive season, stopped operation on Monday citing technical glitches, which added to the problems.
“Boat services operated by the State Water Transport Department (SWTD) and Ro-Ro service owned by Kochi Corporation are the only ways for islanders to reach the mainland. Disruption of service of one of the two Ro-Ro services and Fort Queen passenger boat has deeply affected the public as there is no easy connectivity from one end to the other,” said Francis Chammany, member of the Boat Passengers Association.
Completion of Kochi Water Metro terminal work at Vypeen and High Court Junction gave hope to passengers as water metro services will provide an alternative option.“But, the delay in launching the service has dashed all hopes,” Francis Chammany said.
Meanwhile, officials of Kochi Water Metro said that the launch will be announced soon. According to sources, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss various issues.
The launch of the Kochi Water Metro service will also come up during the discussions, sources said.
The launch of water metro, the first of its kind in the country, has been pushed back multiple times since December 2020.