Speed boat services halt over non-availability of spares in Vizag

VISAKHAPATNAM: The speed boat facility for visitors and tourists near the fishing harbour in Vizag has been non-functional for more than a week due to a technical snag. Visitors who frequent the beach to enjoy water sports and take a ride in the sea have been returning disappointed after seeing the boat lying defunct.Maintained by the AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), the eight-seater boat frequently goes out of order and takes one or two weeks for repair. APTDC officials blamed the delay in repairing the boat on non-availability of spare parts. “The spare parts of this boat aren’t locally available. Experts from Chennai will come here with the required spares, which is why it is taking some time. A technical snag was detected in the engine of the boat, and though we repaired it locally, the problem continued. They will also check the engine and other areas of the boat. It may take one more week to repair the vessel,” a tourism department official said.The tourism department operates speed boats at Rushikonda and also at the fishing harbour jetty. The ticket cost per person is Rs 250 for 10 minutes of ride in the sea. The revenue earned from these boats ranges from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 on weekends. The rush is particularly big on festive occasions and during the tourist season which begins from October and continues till February.