KOCHI : Residents of Fort Kochi and Vypeen, who have been at the receiving end of frequent disruptions in the roll-on-roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel service, can heave a sigh of relief as their long-standing demand for a third vessel is set to become a reality soon. Steps have been taken to begin the construction of the third vessel in February, the Kochi corporation announced. If all goes as planned, residents will receive the third Ro-Ro as a New Year gift in 2025.
As per the estimate prepared by the Cochin Shipyard, the entire project will cost around `15 crore. Although the Smart City Board had decided to allocate `10 crore to the project, the shipyard requested the corporation to pay the entire sum. Subsequently, on the request of Kochi Mayor M Anilkumar, the Board approved allocation of the entire project cost. The corporation held a meeting with Cochin Shipyard chairman and MD Madhu S Nair and other officials to discuss the technical aspects of the project.