A fully loaded passenger boat belonging to Kerala State Water Transport Department (KSWTD) had a close shave on Friday morning when it encountered the Navy’s new high-speed patrolling boat on the Cochin backwaters.
According to passengers, the boat which had started from Fort Kochi was traversing in the area under the jurisdiction of the Cochin Port Trust when the incident took place. The speeding patrol boat passed very close to the passenger boat, leaving a heavy trail of waves which caused the passenger boat to sway dangerously in the water.
Nazar T Bava, a frequent passenger in the boat from Fort Kochi said, “The navy’s boat came speeding all of a sudden. If the driver of the passenger boat had not slowed down, the boats would either have collided, or the passenger boat would have toppled due to the force of the waves”. The passenger boat was full, and apparently saved only due to the quick thinking of the driver, who shut off the engine just in time.
The navy’s boats don’t traverse that particular route very often, said passengers, who added that doing so would be likely to cause accidents.
KSWTD Superintendent Sathyan said that they have not received any complaints from the passengers in this regard. Meanwhile, Navy officials refuted the allegations. They also added that since patrol speed boats are extremely maneuverable and can be controlled easily no such accidents can take place.
“Also, since these type of boats are new, the passengers feel threatened by its presence in the water. We will however look into the matter,” he said.