Kerala - Kochi   

Dubai ferry service likely from February

Staff Reporter

Preparations on to receive the ferry

KOCHI: The proposed Dubai-Kochi ferry service, aimed basically at expatriate Malayalis in the Gulf region, is expected to commence operations in early February.

Cochin Port Trust (CPT) sources said that work to make basic arrangements for receiving the ferry service is on, and that the preparations would be over in the second half of January.

CPT is sprucing up Q2 Transit Shed of the Mattancherry Wharf as a passenger terminal to receive the ferry vessel that will be operated by Marco Shipping Agency, Dubai. Work on the Transit Shed is progressing fast.

Once the refurbishing is over, Marco Shipping would put counters for Customs and Immigration, bank and refreshment. There would also be communication facilities at the berth. The Customs and Immigration counters would be in place for the speedy processing of papers for clearing passengers and their luggage.

CPT and Marco Shipping Agency had entered into an agreement to start regular passenger vessel service between Kochi and Dubai on November 22, last year. N. Ramachandran, Chairman of CPT, Mohammed A. AL Suwaidi, Chairman, Marco Shipping, Dubai, and A.S. Gopinath of Oriental Exim Agency, Kochi, (Agents for Marco Shipping) were the signatories to the agreement.

The passenger service, expected to benefit mainly low-paid Malayalis working in the Gulf region, came into being on a request from the Department of Non-Resident Keralite Affairs (NoRKA). Taking into consideration the benefit of the service, CPT has also decided to extend some concessions on port charges so as to make the service sustainable.

The regular passenger service will be a major service from the Kochi port even as the number of cruise vessels calling at the port has increased during the current year. Eight cruise ships, including the prestigious Seabourn Spirit, have called at the port during this season.

The passenger service also comes in tandem with the proposal by the port to put up a multi-crore facility exclusively to handle passenger cruises. The project is expected to get financial backing from the Union Government, as Kochi is the first port in the country to put up a comprehensive cruise vessel servicing facility.

The future services would include walk-in berthing, sufficient draft, bunkering services, attractive tariffs, and a single-window service for Customs, Immigration and Port Health clearances.

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