A preliminary assessment of the two accidents involving Water Metro ferries as they were preparing to berth at Vypeen and High Court jetties during the past week suggests a snag in their gear system, it is learnt.A ferry that was berthing at Vypeen lost control and rammed a ro-ro ferry berthed in the vicinity, causing minor damage to the railings of the two vessels, while another vessel that was to berth at the High Court Jetty rammed a pontoon, causing injuries to a few passengers who were standing in order to alight. The past week also saw a few Water Metro ferries cancelling their trips on the Vyttila-Kakkanad route due to technical glitches.Following the spree of such incidents, Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) constituted a team of technical experts from the Cochin Shipyard, which manufactured the electric-hybrid ferries, Cusat’s ship technology department, and Kochi Water Metro Limited. They inspected the boats that were involved in the two accidents and also the other 18 ferries in the fleet, to identify the reasons.Having inspected the vessels, the team is expected to submit a detailed report, suggesting alterations, if any, in the vessels to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, said Loknath Behera, managing director, KMRL. “There are also practical issues that pilots of ferries face as they berth at Vypeen where three boat jetties are located next to each other, especially during strong undercurrents. For now, I have issued instructions to announce in ferries that passengers must stand up from their seats only after the ferry has berthed at the jetty,” he added.A problem that ferries encounter on the Vyttila-Kakkanad route is the proliferation of water hyacinth and other floating vegetation, which impede their smooth passage, he said.Published - June 06, 2025 11:53 pm IST