Passenger Ferry Service To Start Between India And Sri Lanka Next Month

Passenger ferry service between India and Sri Lanka is set to begin next month. The ferry service will run between Jaffna's Kankesanthurai port and Puducherry.

Nimal Siripala de Silva, Sri Lanka's Ports and Shipping Minister, stated that the Indian government had granted permission for the service.

The vessels under the new service will transport 300 to 400 passengers on a trip that would take about three and a half hours.

The ferry service is expected to enhance tourism and strengthen cultural relations between the two countries.

"A large number of Indian citizens are engaged in business activities in the Jaffna Peninsula. With such engagement, the new service is expected to generate a large portion of foreign revenue. It will also be of immense convenience for Buddhist pilgrims to India," the minister said, reports The Hindu. 

He also added that services will also be inaugurated from Southern India to Trincomalee and Colombo in Sri Lanka.

The minister has directed that infrastructure for customs, immigration, and emigration, as well as other facilities, be developed at Sri Lankan ports.

According to the Minister, during discussions with ferry owners, they emphasised the necessity of upgrading existing port facilities in order to start giving passenger service.

Ferry owners proposed charging $60 (about Rs 5000) per passenger for a single ride, with each passenger carrying up to 100 kg of luggage.