Indo-Lanka ferry service on choppy waters, hit by teething problems
The Indo-Lanka ferry, which was relaunched on October 14, amidst much fanfare, has been halted owing to the North-East monsoon but will reopen in January.
Passengers hope that many of the teething problems that had marked its recommencement would have been resolved by then. For instance, while the Sri Lanka Government spent Rs. 450mn to build a new passenger terminal, the infrastructure needed for customs and immigration, including IT, inspection facilities and office equipment, was not ready, official sources said.
There wasn’t enough staff from customs and immigration to handle passengers. Consequently, some incoming passengers-notably merchants taking advantage of the 50kg baggage allowance--were stalled at the terminal for four to five hours after an already gruelling four-hour journey.
Named the “Cheriyapani”, the new ferry from Kankesanthurai (KKS) in Jaffna to Nagapattinam in India can seat 150 passengers. It has so far not run at full capacity. A total of around 200 passengers arrived in Sri Lanka on four trips (before the service was halted) with about 150 departures.
K. Premanandan, the CEO of the Northern Chamber of Commerce with a membership of 101 small and mediumsized enterprises, said that in addition to the long sea voyage, the eight-hour journey from Nagapattinam to Chennai was difficult for merchants. “Still, because of the low cost we are encouraging our members to use the service,” he said.
The navy had played a key role in smoothing over the logistical shortcomings. For instance, it had been the Northern naval command that had convened meetings between stakeholders--including the operators, Asha Agency, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, customs and immigration, quarantine services and intelligence. The navy also carried out body checks and provided terminal security.
However, the navy’s heavy involvement might also be a problem. Sources based in the North said that, while the ferry was beneficial to the surrounding community, they could be discouraged from using owing to unreliability (as it was already suspended due to bad weather) and the strong naval presence and participation which intimidates the locals.
Another issue is related to visas. On the Indian side in Nagapattinam, passenger service facilities were newly installed. But a ship source said they cannot scan e-visa bar codes. Many people in Jaffna have e-visas which, unlike stamp visas, are one-year multiple entry. So, many potential passengers cannot use the ferry without giving up their valuable multiple-entry visas to India.
Despite these obstacles, the service’s launch was advanced to beat the oncoming monsoon, and reportedly due to pressure from the Indian Government. Meanwhile, plans for the Thalaimannar-Rameshwaram
ferry are underway, said K.D.S Ruwanchandra, Secretary to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation. But the pier, currently owned by Sri Lanka Railways, is damaged and will first need to be rebuilt,
along with a new terminal and quay wall.
The Indian High Commission said an assessment was being done of what infrastructure was required to commence services as early as possible.