Passengers give thumbs up to Vega

KOCHI: About a month after its launch, Vega, the ferry between Kochi and Vaikom has become popular among daily commuters.

All the stakeholders are now hoping for the government to sanction more such boats considering their efficiency. The passenger boat developed by Navgathi Marine Designs and Constructions Private Limited, has been ferrying passengers to the city from Vaikom for over four weeks and at least around 300 passengers have been travelling on the boat (to and fro) on a week day while their numbers go up to 400 in weekends.

Passengers say the service offers a lot in terms of convenience, including hassle-free travel and getting to their destinations on time.

Besides the general upgrade in comfort, the service comes as a relief to passengers from the Perumbalam Island who have been struggling with limited travel options.

“I used to earlier board a boat from Perumbalam at 8.15am to Panavally. Then I had to take a two-hour bus ride to Ernakulam and I used to reach the city by 10.15am. Now, I board Vega at 9.15am and it takes me to Ernakulam in less than 45 minutes. There is no need to wait for bus or suffer pollution on the roads,” said Babu, a Perumbalam native.

The boat, which leaves Vaikom Jetty at 7.30am, halts at Perumbalam, Panavally and Thevara Ferry before reaching Ernakulam at 9.30am, connecting three districts (Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam).

After reaching Ernakulam, the boat starts shuttling between Ernakulam and Fort Kochi and returns to Vaikom in the evening at around 5.30pm.

But it’s not a smooth ride all the way. Sometimes its propellers get stuck in waste, floating tree trunks and used nets dumped in the lake.

Vega’s boat master Binish KK said the authorities have been cautioning fishers not to fish in the channel at least when the boat service is on.

“Abandoned nets can get tangled in the propellers. The tree trunks immersed in the lake don’t have any reflecting stickers and we go a bit slow to avoid hitting them,” said Binish. Meanwhile, the service connecting Ernakulam to Fort Kochi has also been getting popular. As many as 1,000 passengers ride the boat.