Frequency of Water Metro ferries on Vyttila-Kakkanad route increased

Increased frequency of electric-hybrid ferries on Kochi Water Metro routes, with plans for more services and expansion.

With Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) having handed over a total of 18 of the 23 electric-hybrid ferries to Kochi Water Metro Limited (KWML), including two earlier this week, the frequency of Water Metro ferries on the high-demand Vyttila-Kakkanad route during peak hours has been increased to a service every 20 minutes, from Saturday (January 18).

Commuters have shown a marked preference for the ferries during the past few months due to the extensive barricading of Civil Line Road to build the Kochi metro’s Kakkanad extension and the subsequent traffic gridlocks. The ferry services in the corridor operate from 7.35 a.m. to 7 p.m., while those to Vyttila from Kakkanad operate from 8.05 a.m. to 7.30 pm. Their frequency will henceforth be a ferry every 20, 25, and 30 minutes, it is learnt.

KWML chief operating officer Sajan John said it was decided to augment more ferry services in the corridor, following the recent handing over of two more ferries and the impending commencement of the Kochi metro’s three electric feeder buses from the Water Metro’s Kakkanad terminal to Infopark and the Collectorate. The air-conditioned feeder buses, whose fare is ₹20, will provide first- and last-mile connectivity from the terminal to the two locales. Feeder e-autos too had been mulled from the terminal, he said.

In keeping with increasing demand during holidays and weekends on the High Court-Fort Kochi route, arrangements were recently made to operate ferries every 10 minutes whenever necessary, as compared to a ferry every 15 minutes. Between four to five ferries are deployed on the route now.

KWML is, in the meantime, gearing up to commence ferry services in the High Court-Mattancherry sector, yet another route where there is massive demand for water transport, from March. “CSL is expected to hand over two more ferries by that time, which would be deployed in the route. A total of five ferries will be deployed on the route in a phased manner since the upcoming Mattancherry terminal has berthing space for three ferries,” Mr. John said.

A total of two ferries are in operation on the High Court-Vypeen route.

Aimed at operating more ferries on popular routes and to more islands in the Greater Kochi area, KWML is expected to shortly award the tender to procure another fifteen 100-seat ferries for the second phase of the Water Metro project. The evaluation of tenders is on, and the approval of German lending agency KfW is awaited, it is learnt.