Third ro-ro ferry to be launched within a month, says Kochi mayor

Mayor VK Minimol inspects the progress of work on the third ro-ro ferry. | Photo credit: special arrangement

Kochi Corporation’s third roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) vessel will be launched within a month, Mayor VK Minimol said in a statement issued here after overseeing the progress of its construction at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) along with Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden and standing committee chairmen on Saturday (June 6, 2026).

She also held consultations with CSL officials. The date of the inauguration will be decided based on the wishes of the Chief Minister.

The new vessel will have capacity for 14 lorries, 12 cars and 50 passengers and has been designed to address shortfalls in the existing ro-ro fleet. It will be launched this month ahead of the official inauguration, Ms Minimol said.

The maintenance of the existing vessel will be completed first in collaboration with Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation Limited (KSINC). Once the new vessel is launched, the two existing vessels will be in dry dock one after the other. Mr Eden said a proposal to build a modern hybrid ro-ro vessel, capable of running on both diesel and electric power and accommodating more than 100 vehicles, was also on the anvil. It will be built in ČSL with central financing, he added.

The Mayor was accompanied by Standing Committee Chairmen TK Asharaf, Antony Painuthara, KA Manaf, PM Naseema, Seena Gokulan, Jismy Gerald and Corporation Secretary PS Shibu.

Published – 06 Jun 2026 20:12 IST