Vaikom: A high-speed boat is all set to ferry passengers among the districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam from Sunday.

The services, two each in the morning and evening, will be a huge relief for the commuters who are usually stuck in traffic snarls for hours together. The high-speed boat can cover the 33 km distance between Vaikom and Ernakulam in 105 minutes. The services will have three stops - Perumbalam south and Panavally in Alappuzha district, and Thevara Ferry in Ernakulam district - between Vaikom and Ernakulam jetty near Subash Park.

State Water Transport Department director Shaji V Nair said that the main aim of the service was to provide a hassle-free and cheap mode of transportation to people. The fare will be Rs 40 per head for non-AC seats and Rs 80 per head for AC seats, both much cheaper than the bus fares.

One boat can carry 120 passengers with 40 AC seats and 80 non-AC seats. The average speed of the ferry is 12 nautical miles, twice the speed of an ordinary boat, and the high-speed boat is faster than a speed boat.

Vega 120, manned by four staff, can cover a distance of 25 km in an hour compared to 14 km covered by an ordinary mechanized boat.

The high-speed boat is fitted with a hydraulic engine apart from an electric engine. The officials said talks are on with the National Informatics Centre to facilitate online booking for the boat service. Seasons tickets will also be available in the near future.

Shaji V Nair informed that SWTD would tie up with Kudumbashree to provide refreshment to passengers onboard. The boat has been built by Navgathi Marine at a cost of Rs 1.85 crore.