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Weeks after the Kerala government inaugurated free travel for women and transgender persons on Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC)’s ordinary services, the Kochi Corporation council has announced free travel for women on Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) ferry services.
The Kochi Corporation passed the resolution approving free travel on Monday, June 29. The Corporation will announce the start date once formal arrangements are finalised.
The Kochi Ro-Ro ferry service connects Fort Kochi and Vypin Island, with a ticket price of Rs 3 per passenger. Fifty non-motorist passengers are permitted per trip. This service allows commuters to bypass heavy city traffic, cutting a 1-hour road journey to just under 10 to 15 minutes.
According to reports, women travelling with vehicles must still purchase the standard Rs 10 ticket for their two-wheelers.
The resolution was moved by the Corporation’s Tax Appeal standing committee chairperson, KA Manaf, and received full backing from ruling UDF councillors. The councillors belonging to the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillors did not oppose it but raised concerns, as per reports.
VA Sreejith, the leader of the LDF parliamentary party, stated that he does not oppose the measure because it benefits women, the report said. However, he cautioned against exacerbating the ongoing losses of Ro-Ro operations, which could lead to the privatisation of these services. Echoing this sentiment, BJP councillor Priya Prashanth called for a thorough study and classification before implementation.
UDF councillor MG Aristotle argued that the service should eventually be made free for all passengers, starting with women. He emphasised that the Ro-Ro service should not be focused on profit but should be regarded as a public service.
The free travel initiative was one of the five Indira Guarantees promised by the UDF in their election manifesto. While the original promise envisaged free travel for women on all buses, the scheme currently offers free travel only on KSRTC’s ordinary services.