The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) will start two new roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) services between Willingdon Island and Bolgatty in Kerala from November 2020. The Kerala State Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) will manage the service for movement of container-laden vehicles. The MV Adisankara and MV Raman Ro-Ro vessels were constructed at the Cochin Shipyard at a cost of Rs 15 crore. The vessels have a capacity to carry 30 passengers on board and 15 TEU container trailers. There will be one trip every one hour. The traffic congestion on Kochi’s roads had made it difficult for companies to move containers to Vallarpadam terminal by road.
At present, KSINC is operating a Ro-Ro service between Fort Kochi and Vypeen for the Kochi Corporation. In Phase-I, the new ferry service will transport container-laden trailers. The 56 mtr long Ro-Ro vessel will provide in-house design for day and night operations throughout the year. The vessels will have air-conditioned accommodation for eight crew members and an open deck and ensure smooth loading and discharging of trucks and vehicles in Phase-I. KSINC is expecting to service around 100 container-laden trucks daily.