The introduction of the second roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) ferry between Fort Kochi and Vypeen seems unlikely anytime soon even as the service is set to complete two months on Thursday.
Kerala State Inland Navigation Corporation Limited (KSINC) has not been able to find a qualified trainer to train enough operators, belying their initial confidence.
At present, only one ro-ro ferry is being operated using two operators, with the second operator getting deployed only on Wednesday. By KSINC authorities’ own admission, the operation of normal schedules using both ferries needs deployment of at least five operators.
In the meantime, the schedule of the lone ro-ro ferry was extended by five hours from Wednesday, thus meeting a major demand of commuters. This was facilitated by the deployment of the second operator.
The service started at 6.30 a.m. and ran till 9.30 p.m. as against the previous schedule of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“The revised timing will be highly beneficial. Now, authorities should waste no time in launching the second ro-ro ferry, which will revolutionise transportation in the Fort Kochi-Vypeen stretch. Even with the operation of the sole ferry, there is great demand as the long queues of vehicles suggest,” said Majnu Komath, the chairman of Fort Kochi Janakeeya Koottayma.
However, the revised scheduled was not publicised and there were very few commuters till the normal starting time of 9 a.m. KSINC authorities said that the revised schedule was operated on a trial basis on Wednesday and will be implemented from Thursday. Stakeholders were informed about the revised schedule on Wednesday evening.
The service will follow the schedule during week days but will follow the previous schedule of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends to accommodate off days for the operators.
Signature campaign
Meanwhile, the Fort Kochi-Vypeen Ferry Passengers Association launched a mass signature campaign on Wednesday demanding among other things the implementation of the Corporation council decision to form Special Purpose Vehicle for the operation of the ro-ro service and an end to the cold war between the Corporation and KSINC.
The ro-ro service had a chequered history during the short period since its launch. The service was suspended the day after the Chief Minister launched it with much fanfare on April 28 owing to the absence of trained operators. The service was resumed only on May 14 but operated a curtailed schedule as only one operator was available.