Emphasis of study was on maximum utilisation of vacant land.
The School of Management Studies of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) submitted a detailed study on parking facilities in the proposed Kochi metro rail stations on Friday.
Tom Jose, managing director of Kochi Metro Rail Limited, said that the report would be studied in detail before finalising the extent of land to be acquired for the project. He said that adequate parking in metro stations is very important to avoid traffic congestion as it controlled the number of private vehicles coming into the city.
The study was conducted after dividing the metro stations into three different types based on the demand for parking and requirement for each station. Multi-level parking has also been suggested after analysing the parking need for a period of 20 years.
The parking at Edappally and Vytilla were also analysed while considering the integration of multi-modal transport systems, including the waterways. In majority of the stations, parking areas have been identified alongside the metro stations or adjacent to it for passenger convenience.
But in some stations like Companypadi, South, and Pettah, parking is proposed slightly away from the stations for want of vacant land. Exclusive pedestrian-friendly walkways linking parking areas with stations are proposed in such cases.
The emphasis has been on maximum utilisation of vacant land and minimal acquisition of buildings.
The first category is made of intersecting points, which include terminal stations and cover bigger stations like Kalamassery, Edappally, Palarivattom, Kaloor, Kadavanthra etc. More parking spaces have been proposed in these stations considering their position.
Stations like Cusat, Pulinchodu, Changampuzha Park, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium etc. come under the second category of non-intersecting points with much demand for parking space. The final category is non-intersecting points — Ambattukavu, Muttam, Maharaja’s Ground, Elamkulam etc. — that need less parking area. A team headed by P.R. Wilson, director of School of Management studies, conducted the study.
Keywords: metro parking, School of Management Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cusat
