There are strong indications that the Thoothukudi-Colombo ferry service will resume soon, but the vessel that is going be used this time will be much lesser in size than the Scotia Prince that was sailing between the two destinations.

Sources at the VOC Port said the tender notification for the service had already issued and the forms could be obtained from the Port Trust’s website. The ship would be much smaller with a capacity of around 500 passengers and 50 crew members unlike the Scotia Prince, the earlier vessel, which had capacity to accommodate 1,200 persons.

When asked about the reason for the failure of the earlier service, sources pointed out that only 150 to 200 passengers sailed on the bi-weekly ship against its total strength of 1, 040. This incurred huge losses for the previous operator.

Earlier the ferry service was launched in June 2011 and was suspended in November,2011. A private company, based at Chennai, operated the ship, Scotia Prince, which took 14 hours to sail to Colombo from Thoothukudi.

(TNIE)