Proposals for inland ferry service in Colombo city

The Government is planning to call for tenders to operate an inland ferry service within Colombo and the outskirts. The service along the Wellawatte-Battaramulla canal is expected to be operational in early 2018 while the Beira Lake ferry is to be operational in the same year.

According to an announcement on Friday, the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (SLLRDC) under the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development will initiate the tender process over the weekend for the first leg of a proposed ferry transport system in Colombo. The project will be implemented as a public private partnership.

As detailed in the 2016 Megapolis transport master plan, several of Colombo’s inland waterways will be utilized for passenger ferries whereby commuters and recreational users may travel across various parts of Colombo, avoiding the traffic and enjoying the scenic views. The Ministry statement said the first phase will be a service from Wellawatte to Battaramulla. A ferry service from Fort to Union Place in the Beira Lake, as well as from Mattakkuliya to Hanwella along the Kelani River are also in the pipeline, as are potential other routes such as the Hamilton Canal towards Negombo.

The tender process--which is open to both international and local investors-- is being supported by PPP advisors from the Government of the Netherlands, under a Government-toGovernment technical assistance initiative. The SLLRDC under the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development will be the lead agency for the project. Tender notices and detailed documentation for bidders will be posted on www.megapolis.gov.lk and www.landreclamation.lk on Sunday, and an investor dialogue is expected to be held in July.