A weekly ferry service between Kochi and Male is likely to commence by January/February next year. The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) has been mandated to invite expression of interest (EoI) and identify an operator to take up the service.
Pursuant to the decision announced by the Prime Minister of India and President of Maldives at the Saarc summit on launching a ferry service between Kochi and Male, a team of officers from Maldives Ports Limited led by Hussain Naeem, deputy CEO, held discussions with Cochin Port Trust top brass .
To be structured as a cargo-cum-passenger service, it will have a passenger capacity of 300 and also carry 15-20 containers and about 500 tonnes of break bulk cargo. The EoI will be floated soon after receiving confirmation from the government of Maldives.
The ferry will be berthed at the BTP jetty at Cochin port and will use the cruise terminal facility, being developed at a cost of Rs 7 crore. The work on the cruise terminal is expected to be completed by March. The Maldivian team wanted the ferry to touch Kulhuduffushi port also. However, since the port expansion work is yet to be completed, it was decided to start the ferry as a Cochin-Male-Cochin service. The service is likely to be extended to Kulhuduffushi port once the work is completed.
A large amount of cargo from Kerala and south Tamil Nadu is being moved to Male routing through ports like Singapore and Dubai. There is limited movement of cargo from Tuticorin to Male. The transit time between Kochi and Male is one day and will be ideal for movement of perishable cargo, a Cochin Port release said.
