THE FERRY TO FORT Beira Lake boat service ; service free-of-charge for first month
Living in Colombo is great. Every weekday dawns yet another day when most of us working in Colombo wait for hours staring at the back of a car or groaning about how long we have to stay standing on the bus. And after trying a host of options, the transport board has finally come up with an ideal solution to beat the traffic as of yet. the newest solution to this very annoying problem is one that cost the government a hundred million rupees. A fancy ferry that carries anyone and everyone (for free for the next month) from Union Place to Fort.
A boat service for transporting passengers will be in operation along the Beira Lake from Union Place to Colombo Fort to from Aug 22, the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry said.
Passengers could use the service free-of-charge for one month starting from tomorrow. Navy officers will be deployed to assist in the operation of the boat service which would be equipped with safety measures.
The Dock
Every news outlet that we found was very vague about where exactly the ferry service starts. So, after around 5 minutes of walking around in the rain and conversations with 2 random people on the road, we found out that this ferry service starts at the road right opposite the Lake House building on a little dock at the edge of Beira Lake.
Diyathra: Luxury Boating
Issuing a statement, the Ministry stated that the service would be managed by the Land Reclamation Authority, and is expected to assist in reducing traffic congestion in Colombo. The Ministry pointed out that the public could travel from Colombo Fort to Union Place within 10 minutes instead of spending almost 30 minutes through other means of transport.
The passenger boat service operating on the Beira Lake from Union Place to Colombo Fort has been launched under the patronage of PM Ranil Wickremesinghe a short while ago.
boat service and t is compulsory to comply with all safety precautions during the voyage. Presenting, the Diyathra, the saviour of everyone going from Union Place to Fort. After a pretty wet yet wonderful trip across the Beira and another 10 minutes of staring at it from under a roof, we finally saw it. With the launch of this service, it is possible to travel from Colombo Fort to Union Place in less than 15 minutes. The boat service has been identified as an ideal solution to ease traffic congestion.
Stark white with enough space to fit 50 people, the Diyathra makes a trip every 10-20 minutes with each trip back and forth taking no more than 15 minutes. Saving every rider 15 minutes of not staring at the back of some other vehicle in the process of trying to get to work on time.
So, here's a bit of a heads up. If you want to cross the river, you can take either one. Unless you come particularly to ride the Diyathra.In which case, don't get on this. Wait another 10- 20 minutes till she turns up.
Row, row, row your boat!
As an initial step before the commencement of the implementation of the project under a Public‑Private Partnership model, Fort to Union Place via Beira Lake service was implemented as a pilot project for a period of two years with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Navy. Another phase of the project is to be implemented centering the Beira Lake and the Wellawatte Canal. This will enable people to travel from Wellawatte to Battaramulla in 40 minutes. Air conditioned boats will be used for that purpose. Plans are also afoot to operate a passenger ferry service along Kelani River from Mattakkuliya to Hanwella, said Dhanushka Ramanayake, Project Director of the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development.
Steps will also be taken to prepare the timetables for the bus and rail transport services in connection with the boat service on all these Colombo waterways. In addition, the boat service will be used in the night for foreign tourists at major hotels around Beira Lake.
According to the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation, which manages the passenger boat service, the total cost of these three projects is Rs. 100 million. The project is expected to provide employment opportunities to around 500 people and improve the cleanliness of Colombo's waterways.
The boat service, which was proposed as a solution for the heavy traffic congestion in the city, is managed by the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC). The passengers will be given the opportunity to utilize the boat service free-of-charge for one month since commencement. Estimated time of commuting between Colombo Fort to Union Place via the boat service is 9-10 minutes, the Chairman of SLLDC Roshan Gunawardena said.
We liked it. When it comes to getting to work on time without any sort of hassle, this has got to be the best. Even if you do end up a couple of minutes late, we say go for it. It's different and lovely. Plus, as far as we know, it's free of charge for a month.
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