The Kochi based Lots Shipping, which bagged the contract for Ro-Ro service for moving containers for the ICTT at Vallarpadam, has successfully carried out the trial run on Wednesday.
Lots Bridge, the double entry ferry deployed the company, carried 15 trucks in a single voyage with containerised cargo from Willingdon Island to Bolghatty as part of moving the cargo to the ICTT at Vallarpadam. The company will start the official operations within the next couple of days, a senior official said.
Lots Shipping had bagged the contract for a period of 10 years. The double entry ferry is on a long term charter from a Singapore firm. This is the first double entry ferry operated in India and it has a capacity to move 15 20 foot containers in a trip and 500 teus in a day, the officials said.
The Koch Port and the IWAI through joint venture had set up Ro-Ro terminal in Bolghatty and Willingdon Island at an investment of Rs16crore to facilitate inland waterway connectivity to the Vallarpadam terminal for moving containerised cargo.
By creating water connectivity for the movement of containers, the congestion in the city roads is expected to be reduced to a certain extent. All the south bound containers are expected to use the Ro-Ro facility. In addition to reducing road congestion and pollution, the water corridor enables cost effective transportation of containers from the cashew export belt of Kollam and coir export belt of Alappuzha and vice versa by using container barges.