Kochi: The Kochi corporation has finally decided to deploy the newly inaugurated Ro-Ro vessel, Sethu Sagar-3, in the busy Fort Kochi-Vypeen section next week amid frequent service disruptions and severe commuter backlash.Earlier, the plan was to deploy the new vessel only after the formation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) in collaboration with Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL).“The recent service disruptions have forced us to change the plan. The new vessel will be deployed next week by forming a temporary six-month agreement with Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC),” mayor V K Minimol said.KSINC is currently operating the two vessels — Sethu Sagar-1 and Sethu Sagar-2 — but has come under severe commuter backlash for “lapses” in smooth operation.The decision comes after Sethu Sagar-1 suffered a technical glitch due to an engine pipeline failure, leaving only a single vessel operational across the Fort Kochi–Vypeen sector on Monday and Tuesday. The disruption triggered massive traffic congestion, with vehicle queues stretching nearly a kilometre during a busy three-day holiday weekend.Regular commuters have voiced displeasure over Sethu Sagar-3 remaining idle for over three months since its launch on June 22.“The vessel Sethu-Sagar-1 is developing frequent complaints as its annual maintenance works are long overdue. This is even as the new vessel is lying idle and gathering barnacles in the backwaters. We urge the civic body to expedite deployment of the new RoRo vessel,” said Francis Chammany, president of the Vypeen-Fort Kochi passengers association.Minimol said the vessel Sethu Sagar-1 will be withdrawn for dry docking upon the deployment of the new vessel.“When it’s deployed after the maintenance works, the other RoRo (Sethu Sagar-2) will be dry docked. For that, we will go for an open tender. We have set aside Rs 5.5 crore for maintenance of both the vessels,” she added.The local body is also preparing to end its eight-year partnership with KSINC, citing the agency’s failure to generate profits. Instead, the corporation plans to form an SPV in collaboration with KMRL to manage all Ro-Ro operations. Feasibility studies conducted by both the corporation and KMRL indicate that the ferry route can be run profitably.