Inland passenger boat service from December
by Shirajiv Sirimane
Sri Lanka's first inland luxury passenger boat service between
Battaramulla and Wellawatte will commence by the end of this year. The
BOI approved project is a joint venture between Kinecprics Inc of Canada
and Infoconsult Incorp of Canada is under taking this with an investment
of US $ 16 million.
Signing of the agreement for Sri Lanka’s first inland luxury
passenger boat service was held last week. Chairman BOI, Saliya
Wickramasuriya is exchanging the agreement with President
Infoconsult Incorp Canada, Philip Ekanayaka. Officials of the
Canadian Embassy, Kinecprics Inc of Canada look on. Picture by
Sudath Malaweera |
The 35-minute luxury air-conditioned boat service will provide for
250 direct and over 200 indirect employment opportunities. According to
Project Director Infoconsult Incorp, Neil Gonaduwa they have received a
very positive response from both the Government and the Board of
Investment for this project. "The government wants us to start similar
project's linking the Kelaniriver and we are seriously thinking about
it," he said.
The boat service would be targeting the day to day office staff,
school children, tourists and the leisure travellers and would be an
answer to the local irregular public transport system.
The boat service would commence from near the turn off to the
Parliament road at Battaramulla and end at the Wellawatte canal near the
Marine drive. Each journey would take around 30 minutes. It would have
two stops near the Open University Nawala, Kotte Marsh, Apollo Hospital,
former Wellawatte Spinning and Weaving Mills and at St. Peter's College.
Each stops would have restaurants, internet cafes, ATM's and mini
shopping malls to attract crows and the service would be operated daily
from 5 am to 2 a.m.
The diesel powered passenger vessels would be brought from Canada and
it would be air-conditioned 48 seaters. "The vessels have obtained the
highest international standards and are environmental friendly," he
said. The fare for each journey would be around Rs. 35 and boat would
leave the jetty every five minutes. "We are planning to introduce a
special season for the daily office travellers and a special discounted
fare for school children," he said.
The project would also save around Rs. 200 million annually, to the
Colombo Municipality. "We would be investing heavily to clean, clear and
dredge the existing water ways. In addition we would be having a special
work force to keep the canal free of garbage," he said.
Speaking at the signing of the agreement for the project, Chairman
BOI, Saliya Wickramasuriya said that this was a very exciting project.
"This project has introduced a new mode of transport to Sri Lanka in a
professional way and we would extend all support for it," he said. |