Third Ro-Ro Vessel announced to ease travel woes in Fort Kochi, Vypeen

In a proactive effort to address the travel challenges faced by residents of Fort Kochi and Vypeen, the municipal corporation has unveiled plans for the construction of a third Ro-Ro (Roll-On/Roll-Off) vessel. The Cochin Smart Mission (CSML) has allocated funds for this initiative, and the responsibility of crafting the new Ro-Ro vessel will be entrusted to the capable hands of Cochin Shipyard. Mayor M Anilkumar shared that this decision was reached during a recent meeting of the Kochi Smart City Mission's board.The Ro-Ro service, inaugurated on the Fort Kochi-Vypeen route back in 2018, encountered intermittent disruptions and inconveniences due to consecutive repair works on the vessels. This situation led to consistent traffic congestion on both ends of the route. Responding to a proposal presented to them, the CSML board decided to allocate Rs 100 million towards this project, as communicated by the mayor during a press conference.Mayor Anilkumar outlined that the city corporation aims to have the project completed by the conclusion of the following year. The estimated total cost of the project, according to Cochin Shipyard's assessment, stands at approximately Rs 150 million. To initiate the process, an advance of Rs 50 million will be provided, aligning with the discussions held.A tripartite agreement involving CSML, Cochin Shipyard, and the municipal corporation will be shortly established. Considering that the second Ro-Ro vessel, currently in operation on the route, is due for maintenance in the dry dockyard by 2025, the goal is to finalise the project by the end of the upcoming year, as elucidated by the mayor.The unanimous decision made during the board meeting designated Cochin Shipyard as the responsible entity for the construction endeavour. However, negotiations on the project's cost are anticipated. The corporation intends to secure additional funding or explore alternative options to cover the expenses. The construction process is predicted to take at least a year to complete, as Mayor Anilkumar stated.Moreover, the Ro-Ro vessel named Sethu Sagar 1, which had been under repair for over eight months, resumed its services after being restored to operational condition.