The keel of the first double-ended RoRo ferry being built for the Corporation of Cochin was laid by V.R. Raju, secretary of the Corporation here on Monday at a ceremony at the Cochin Shipyard.
The vessels, equipped with two nos of azimuth thrusters for easy manoeuvring and other modern equipment are expected to provide a great relief to the water transportation problems in the city.
The contractual delivery date of the first vessel is in June 2016 and the second vessel will follow three months thereafter.
The design of the two ferries has been developed in house. The vessel is designed to meet the requirements of Indian Register of Shipping and KIV Act. The length of the vessel is 27m with a breadth of 8.25m and depth of 2.5m. The vehicle deck of the vessel can accommodate up to 18 cars.