Proposals to be called for Colombo-Tuticorin ferry service

A ferry service between Colombo and Tuticorin would soon be a real possibility with the Colombo Shipping Corporation (CSC) planning to call for local and international bids under PPP (public-private partnership) on or before January 15, 2017.

CSC officials said the plan, part of a SAARC initiative, is likely to receive support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

These were some of the measures that emerged at the ‘Expert Group Meeting’ organised by SAARC/ADB on “Indian Ocean Cargo and Passenger Ferry Services” held on December 1-2 in Colombo.

The finalised report of the meeting was handed over to Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and Shipping L P Jayampathy at the closing ceremony by Ali Haider Altaf, Director and representative of the Secretary General of SARRC, according to a CSC media release.

The launch of Indian Ocean cargo and passenger ferry ser- vices between SAARC region countries was originally recommended at the Fourth Meeting of the SAARC InterGovernmental Group on Transport which was held in New Delhi in 2010. It was initially proposed to commence on a sub-regional basis including India, Maldives and Sri Lanka and to connect ports along the South Asian coastal line from Karachi to Mongla / Chittagong.

SAARC together with ADB funded the project to identify the most appropriate methodology to start a ferry service connecting Maldives, Sri Lanka and India with required technical assistance/consultancy services for the feasibility study.

This week’s meeting deliberated on the views/comments in order to finalise the recommendations and commence a ferry service connecting regional ports, at the earliest.

There have been various private attempts to start a ferry service between India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives but the initial efforts have not progressed to the next level.