Now, free ride for women in Kochi Corporation’s ro-ro ferries

The Kochi Corporation council on Monday passed a resolution approving free ride to women passengers, except motorists, on its ro-ro vessels, toying the line of the United Democratic Front (UDF) government’s recent decision to implement a similar scheme in KSRTC ordinary buses earlier this month.

The resolution, moved by Tax Appeal standing committee chairperson K.A. Manaf, received full backing from ruling UDF councillors, while the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillors were neither fully supportive nor opposed it.

Announcing the passage of the resolution, Mayor V.K. Minimol said the scheme would apply to women among the 50 non-motorist passengers issued tickets for each service. Formalities for implementation will be initiated shortly, she added.

LDF parliamentary party leader V.A. Sreejith said he did not oppose the measure since it benefited commuting women, but cautioned against aggravating the mounting losses of ro-ro operations, which could pave the way for privatisation of the services.

Echoing caution, BJP councillor Priya Prashanth called for a proper study and categorisation before implementation. “While not discounting the significance of the welfare measure, it is important to fix the category of beneficiaries, considering the huge liability already borne by the Corporation from the service,” she said.

In contrast, ruling UDF councillor M.G. Aristotle argued that the service should eventually be made free for all categories of passenger beginning with women. He stressed that the ro-ro service should not be solely aimed at making profit but should be viewed as a public service. “The move will be beneficial to women and hence should be welcomed,” he said.

Earlier, while moving the resolution, Mr. Manaf said the decision would be particularly beneficial to ordinary women engaged as domestic workers, casual labourers, and those in the fishing sector.

Heated exchange

Meanwhile, ruling and opposition councillors on Monday locked horns in the council meeting over the supplementary agreement signed by the civic body to extend the contract for biomining the remaining volume of legacy waste at Brahmapuram.

While the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioned the legal validity of the agreement signed with Bhumi Green Energy – already engaged in biomining – without a tender, and raised concerns over variations in the quantum of legacy waste yet to be processed, the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) patted itself on the back for prompt action at a negotiated rate.

The Kozhikode-based National Institute of Technology (NIT) submitted a report to the Corporation last week pegging the total legacy waste at 3.22 lakh metric tonnes, including scientifically capped waste. Since the Corporation has decided not to disturb the capped waste, 1.96 lakh tonnes remain to be bio-mined at a negotiated rate of ₹1,672 per metric tonne, amounting to ₹37 crore.