The Kochi Water Metro, which will complete one year of operations on April 25, has ferried over 19 lakh people on five routes during this time and has become a model in the field of sustainable water transport, its MD Loknath Behera said on Wednesday.
Behera said that the water metro began its operations on April 25 last year with nine boats on two routes and now it was running services on five routes with 14 vessels.
“It has turned into a successful and sustainable public transportation system as well as a tourist attraction,” he said. He also urged people to travel more on the water metro, saying that “it would save the planet and Ernakulam”.
The Kochi Water Metro Ltd (KWML), in a statement, said that its operations have brought about a revolutionary change in the water transport sector in the state. “During the last one year, 19,72,247 people used the service of Kochi Water Metro. Now Kochi Water Metro has reached Fort Kochi which is a paradise for tourists,” the statement said.
It contended that the Kochi Water Metro has become a model in the field of sustainable water transport as evidenced by the fact that projects similar to it are being mooted in various parts of the country. The KWML also said that due to the unique and novel concept of the water metro, the number of tourists coming to Kochi to explore it in its first year was more than the number of regular commuters.
“But Kochi Water Metro will focus on persuading the islanders to use the water metro for their daily commute,” it added. It also said that though the ticket prices ranged between Rs 20 to Rs 40, regular passengers can travel on the water metro at a cost of up to Rs 10 using various travel passes.
According to KWML, it was planning to launch more new routes, but the limited number of boats it has would pose a major challenge to increasing the number of services. It said that construction of five more water metro terminals was in progress and services are expected to be started on those routes from September-October onwards.
“Prior to this, Cochin Shipyard has informed us that five more boats will be delivered by September,” it said in its statement. It further said that it was also making efforts to improve the first and last mile connectivity to and from water metro terminals.
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