Kolkata, Jul 18 (IANS): The maiden vessel of the weekly China Calcutta Service (CCS) entered the Kolkata Dock System (KDS) on Thursday amidst much fanfare.

An official said that the Singapore-flag 143.93 metre-long MV Kota Rakyat was received by Samrat Rahi, Deputy Chairman at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK) in the presence of KDS traffic manager R S Rajhans and other officials.

He said that the aim of this direct weekly service from China to Kolkata is to address the increasing demand for reduced transit time from ports in the Far East to Kolkata.

“The MV Kota Rakyat and her sister ships MV Kota Ria and MV Kota Rukun are specially designed for navigation in shallow waters with average parcel loads of 622 TEUs. TEU stands for Twenty Ton Equivalent Unit,” the official said.

As per Marine Traffic, the last known draught that the MV Kota Rakyat negotiated was a mere 6.9 metres, just about what KDS has to offer.

“This service promises a transit period of just 10 to 12 days, significantly enhancing logistical efficiency and meeting the needs of customers in India and Nepa,” a senior SMPK official said.

He said that the port rotation for the route is Xiamen - Shekou - Singapore - Kolkata - Singapore - Xiamen providing robust connectivity and fostering trade growth in the region.

“The maiden voyage will be followed by MV Kota Rukun on July 25. This weekly service is set to bolster the shipping efficiency for the burgeoning EXIM trade across West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, the northeastern states of India, as well as Nepal and Bhutan,” the SMPK official said.