Indo-Lanka ferry services from next year

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE

The much-awaited passenger ferry service between Sri Lanka and India will become a reality early next year.

The Governments of the two countries have decided to first commence the ferry service between Colombo and Tuticorin.

The two Governments also plan to re-introduce the Thalaimannar to Rameswaram ferry service later. The Indian Union Cabinet approved this proposal on Wednesday and several shipping lines have already expressed interest in supplying vessels for the service.

India's Minister of Shipping, Shri G.K. Vasan has reportedly directed the Tuticorin Port Trust to build the infrastructure to begin the ferry service.

The journey from the Colombo Port would be 152 nautical miles and is expected to take around 10 hours.

This proposal was discussed at the SAARC Transport Ministers' meeting last year.

An official of the East West Group said they have already obtained Board of Investment approval to launch the service and would be looking at reviving this agreement. The company has the infrastructure to start the service at any time. The tourism industry would receive a major boost with the proposed ferry service as Indian tourist arrivals would increase.

Indian tourists already occupy the number one slot in the arrivals list to Sri Lanka.

Due to the competition from the ferry service, airfares between the two countries are also expected to come down significantly. The average return airfare to the closest Indian destination, Chennai is around Rs.12,500. "The ferry fare would be around Rs.7,500," the official said.

The ferry service between the two countries was abandoned in 1994 due to floods washing away the pier in India and LTTE problems.