First Colombo-Tuticorin Ferry sails on 28th
Ferry Services between Colombo harbour and the Indian port of Tuticorin are set to start next week. The first ferry, a vessel with a capacity of 500 passengers run by a private Indian operator, is scheduled to sail from India on February 28.
Reports said that a big warehouse in the Tuticorin port has been converted into a passenger terminal and passenger seating, baggage scanning and immigration counter facilities have been installed in this terminal.
Initially there will be two voyages a week and will be increased to three voyages subsequently.
The Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Ports Mr. Anura Jayawickrema, who visited the South Indian Port recently to check on arrangements there, said the Colombo Port is also refurbishing its passenger terminal building.
Sri Lanka’s ferries will be operated by the state-owned Ceylon Shipping Corporation, and negotiations have been concluded for chartering vessels required for this service. The Shipping Corporation officials said that they are looking to hire a ferry with a capacity of 500-600 passengers, including cabins.
Shipping Corporation sources also said that fees for the voyage have not yet been decided but it will be lower than air fares. Each passenger will get a baggage allowance of 100 kilos which would be the main attraction for the travellers using the ferry service. However, each item of luggage on the ferry will be restricted to a maximum of 25 kilos. The voyage between Colombo and Tuticorin is estimated to take 10 – 12 hours.
Meanwhile, the airline sources said that many of the passengers on board the usually heavily booked flights between Colombo and Chennai are businessmen and traders who are frequent flyers to the South Indian city for shopping. They said that due to lack of big shopping complexes in Tuticorin, as in Chennai, the new ferry service will not affect much on the heavily booked air travel between Colombo and Chennai. They said that the ferry services are likely to cater to a different market than airlines unless or until voyages become quicker than the proposed 10-12 hours or fares much cheaper than the air fares. They also said pilgrims and others who go on package tours are unlikely to switch unless the tours are changed to suit ferry services.(niz)
Ferry Services between Colombo harbour and the Indian port of Tuticorin are set to start next week. The first ferry, a vessel with a capacity of 500 passengers run by a private Indian operator, is scheduled to sail from India on February 28.
Reports said that a big warehouse in the Tuticorin port has been converted into a passenger terminal and passenger seating, baggage scanning and immigration counter facilities have been installed in this terminal.
Initially there will be two voyages a week and will be increased to three voyages subsequently.
The Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Ports Mr. Anura Jayawickrema, who visited the South Indian Port recently to check on arrangements there, said the Colombo Port is also refurbishing its passenger terminal building.
Sri Lanka’s ferries will be operated by the state-owned Ceylon Shipping Corporation, and negotiations have been concluded for chartering vessels required for this service. The Shipping Corporation officials said that they are looking to hire a ferry with a capacity of 500-600 passengers, including cabins.
Shipping Corporation sources also said that fees for the voyage have not yet been decided but it will be lower than air fares. Each passenger will get a baggage allowance of 100 kilos which would be the main attraction for the travellers using the ferry service. However, each item of luggage on the ferry will be restricted to a maximum of 25 kilos. The voyage between Colombo and Tuticorin is estimated to take 10 – 12 hours.
Meanwhile, the airline sources said that many of the passengers on board the usually heavily booked flights between Colombo and Chennai are businessmen and traders who are frequent flyers to the South Indian city for shopping. They said that due to lack of big shopping complexes in Tuticorin, as in Chennai, the new ferry service will not affect much on the heavily booked air travel between Colombo and Chennai. They said that the ferry services are likely to cater to a different market than airlines unless or until voyages become quicker than the proposed 10-12 hours or fares much cheaper than the air fares. They also said pilgrims and others who go on package tours are unlikely to switch unless the tours are changed to suit ferry services.(niz)
