Kerala - Kochi   

Permission for cruise liner service sought

Staff Reporter

It is planned between Kochi and Colombo

KOCHI: Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation Limited (KSINC) has requested permission from the Cochin Port Trust (CoPT) for launching a passenger-cum-cruise liner service between Colombo and Kochi on a joint venture basis with a private partner.

2 companies show interest

According to the KSINC sources, two companies, one based in Mumbai and another in Colombo, have evinced interest in joining hands with the corporation, the only shipping company in the State under the Government.

They said that the KSINC had signed a memorandum of understanding with one of the companies for the purpose of launching the service.

The port trust has been approached by the KSINC for seeking permission from the Union Home Ministry, as any such service has to be cleared by the ministry.

Cruise terminal

Besides, the port trust is in the process of building an exclusive cruise terminal for handling passenger vessels at the port. The proposed Kochi-Colombo service stands to gain from such a facility.

It is learnt that the port trust has recommended the KSINC proposal to the Union Home Ministry while the application was forwarded for approval.

The Kochi-Colombo sector has been selected considering the volume of passenger traffic between the destinations for business and leisure purposes. The flights operated between these destinations are often crowded. New trade agreements like SAFTA have resulted in increasing number of passengers in this sector.

KSINC support

It is expected that the KSINC will provide support for ground handling operations like arranging embarkation and disembarkation of passengers with their luggage with customs and immigration clearances.

The private partner is expected to provide the vessel, possibly a semi-luxury vessel for the service. Golden Cruise Lines and the KSINC had signed an agreement in November 2003 for launching a Colombo-Vizhinjam cruise service.

The service, aimed mostly at tourists, was expected to go on stream on a profit-sharing basis with the private company chartering the vessel and doing the marketing. The plan was dropped for several reasons one of them being that Vizhinjam did not have sufficient facilities for handling passengers with attendant facilities like immigration and customs clearances.

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