Special Correspondent
KOCHI
The Kochi Corporation has decided to provide funds in advance to procure spare parts for one of the two Ro-Ro vessels that was operating in the Fort Kochi-Vypeen corridor, and which was withdrawn from service a month ago for dry docking at the Cochin Shipyard.
The funds will be provided based on an estimate submitted a few days ago by the shipyard, which said many of the spares have to be imported, official sources said.
It has also been decided to take up with the Government the need to procure a third RoRo vessel to act as a stand by, in case any vessel had to be withdrawn for repair work, they added.
Meanwhile, sources in KSINC that has been operating the RoRo vessels and owns the ferry said the KSINC’s role was only of a service provider running the vessels on similar terms as that for running the container RoRo vessels of IWAI. The corporation owes money for the ferry’s repair works. Neither did it earmark funds for the RoRo vessel’s dry docking, although letters were sent during the past two years, they said.
