KOCHI: VEGA 120, the State Water Transport Department (SWTD)-run fast ferry in the Vaikom-Ernakulam-Fort Kochi route has become a huge hit. With more visitors arriving during vacation, the daily collection has grown by 50 per cent, say authorities. Since the start of the vacation, the daily collection has grown to Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000, compared normal collection of Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000. Now, SWTD officers feel the ferry will record higher profits by the end of the vacation period.
“Based on the daily collection, we can say that the ferry service from Vaikom has become a success. During the holidays, several tourists prefer the ferry ride from Ernakulam to Vaikom and this has help increase the collection,” said M Sujith, Ernakulam traffic superintendent. However, fishing nets spread at the backwater en route to Vaikom from Ernakulam is creating trouble for the service. Often nets get entangled with the boats causing unreasonable delays.
The fishing net menace exists during the return trip from Ernakulam to Vaikom in the evening too. The low visibility too poses a huge risk. “The situation has aggravated with the water level dropping during summer. People dumping waste in the at night too is a risk as the refuse often gets stuck in the shaft. Recently, one such incident left a boat non-operational for an entire day,” he said.
Vega 120 starts from Vaikom at 7.30 am and reaches Ernakulam at around 9.30 am and it returns to Vaikom at 5.30 pm. During the day time, the ferry is operated for circular service to Fort Kochi and Vypeen islands. The vessel can seat 40 commuters in AC cabin and 80 in non-AC cabin. The ferry operates at a speed on 22-km per hour, compared with 13 kmph by normal boats.
SWTD officials said the agency would replace its ageing fleet with new steel boats soon. SWTD has ordered five steel boats that would replace nine old boats operating from Ernakulam. “We have completed the hull work of the two boats. The remaining works are currently taking place. We hope to roll out the new boats before the end of the year,” an official said.