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Inland passenger boat service from December
 

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.

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