Superfast AC boats to ply between Vaikom and Cochin

Vaikom: The water transport department is all set to launch superfast AC boat services from Vaikom to Cochin. The construction of the boats, which can carry 120 passengers comfortably, is over and the officials say that they are waiting for the registration procedure to get done.

The boat, which is 7 meters wide and 22 meters long, has 40 seats.

When ordinary boats sail at a speed of 6 nautical miles, these superfast boats, equipped with double engines can gain speed up to 12 nautical miles. There would be 5 stops between Vaikom and Cochin. From Vaikom, the boat reaches the jetty near the Subash Park in Ernakulam, in less time than it would take via road. Connecting boats would be available from here to places like Kakkanad. The ticket fare too is significantly less than the bus fare.

It would normally take at least 1.25 hours from Vaikom to reach Ernakulam via road. However, it may even go up to 2 hours because of heavy traffic in the route. The boat service is expected to bring an impetus to the tourism industry as well. The boats would be sailing through the national waterways, and this gives the passengers and tourists a unique opportunity to enjoy the mesmerising beauty of the Vembanadu Lake. The project has been an offshoot of the authorities' long-term plans to effectively use the water transport system.