KOTTAYAM: The travel woes of the people commuting the 35-km Vaikom-Ernakulam-Fort Kochi route will come to an end once Kerala’s first partially air-conditioned ferry begins service. The ferry service was inaugurated by Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac on Sunday. Transport Minister A K Saseendran was the chief guest.
According to Vaikom Municipality chairman Sasidharan, the vessel is also the fastest one in the state. “The vessel, owned by the State Water Transport Department (SWTD), can accommodate 40 passengers in its AC cabin and 80 in the non-AC area. The travel time between Vaikom and Ernakulam Boat Jetty is estimated to be 90 minutes, as compared to around two hours taken by buses operating on the stretch,” he said.
“The fare for non-AC seats is Rs 40. The AC ticket fare is Rs 80. It is lower than that of the AC low-floor buses. Apart from regular commuters, tourists are expected to patronise the vessel, considering the comfortable and reasonably-priced ride through the serene and picturesque stretch that is part of the National Waterway III,” said SWTD director Shaji V Nair.
Stoppages
The Rs 1.85-crore vessel can move at a speed of up to 14 knots (around 25 km per hour). It will have a halt at a terminal near Indo-American Hospital near Vaikom, Aroor, and Thevara en route. Meanwhile, efforts are on to extend the SWTD’s Kakkanad-Vyttila ferry service to Thevara, coinciding with the Vaikom ferry’s arrival, to benefit those who want to reach Vyttila and Kakkanad.
Though the seating capacity is 120, it can safely carry up to 250 people, since it is the biggest ferry in Kerala, said the chairman. The catamaran-type, the twin-engine ferry will operate a return trip to Vaikom in the evening. In between, it will operate multiple trips in the Ernakulam-Fort Kochi stretch.
Sandith Thandassery, CEO of Navgathi Marine, which designed and built the vessel, said it was 40% more fuel-efficient than conventional ferries. “It is the fastest inland ferry in the state and adheres to fire and other safety specifications for vessels. It also needs a draft of around one metre, whereas NW-III has around 2-metre depth,” he added. The ferry, made of fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP), has a very efficient hull form that enables it to move at up to 14 knots speed with just two 170 BHP engines, he added.
Solar ferry
NavAlt, a joint venture of Navgathi and two other firms, has designed and built India’s first solar ferry for the SWTD. It operates 22 trips daily on the Vaikom-Thavanakadavu route. “The operational cost, apart from salary of crew and maintenance expenses, is less than Rs 200 a day, as compared to the fuel expense of Rs 7,000 for diesel-powered ferries,” said SWTD officials.