The Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) has launched an international ferry design competition wherein the winning design will be utilised on a new Ro-Pax vessel that will operate along the Amazon River in Brazil.
The vessel will be put into service on the stretch of the Amazon between the municipalities of Manaus and Tefe, which are both in Amazonas state. Further, given that Brazil has become a hotspot for Covid-19 and ferry travel between Manaus and Tefe has been ascribed to be a vector of infection, the new vessel will need to be designed with this issue being considered as well.
The competition, the eighth of its kind to be held, is open to international student teams with the aim of designing safe and affordable ferries to help minimise ferry fatalities, primarily in developing countries. Registrations will be accepted until May 1, 2021, and entries are due on June 1, 2021.