A few hundred autorickshaws will be run as feeder services from the 11 stations in the Aluva-Palarivattom Kochi metro corridor from Saturday. The services are aimed at ensuring last-mile connectivity for commuters alighting trains.
Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) had identified as many as 140 routes, covering major side roads in the vicinity of the stations. The presence of autorickshaws will gradually be stepped up based on demand.
The metro agency is also chalking out plans to introduce mini buses that will be operated from metro stations to the interior of prominent side roads, to transport commuters in bulk to places nearest to their houses. “For this, we plan to tie up with agencies/societies that can operate them for a few years. We will procure our own fleet of mini buses at a later stage, since the present metro commuters comprise more of joy riders than regular commuters, and it is tough to analyse their travel patterns,” they added.
A senior official of the Kerala Urban Road Transport Corporation (KURTC) said it was operating as many as 14 non-AC low-floor buses on the metro’s feeder routes, from Edappally and Aluva stations. “Most of them are earning hardly ₹3,000 a day, while they were getting a daily collection of over ₹10,000 on regular routes,” he added.
M.B. Satyan, president of Kerala State Private Bus Operators’ Federation, too said operating feeder services from metro stations need not always be feasible, unless there is a different fare structure. “Prior to this, bus stops must be relocated near metro stations by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA). This will ensure seamless integration of the metro and buses,” he said
According to Mr. Satyan, most private bus operators have suffered a 10% fall in revenue ever since the metro was opened for commercial operations.
On the inadequate space near most stations to park buses and other feeder services, officials said the matter would be addressed when a ₹160-crore plan to improve footpaths, junctions, and to hew out parking space near metro stations in the Aluva-Pettah corridor is implemented. At present, efforts are on to temporarily take over vacant plots nearby to level and use them as parking lots.
KMRL has once again written to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) seeking possession of its 80-cent unused land near the Palarivattom station for the purpose. Talks are also on with start-ups to identify and create pay-and-park lots in the metro corridor.
Meanwhile, the six metro trains that were operated from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesday recorded 47,253 footfall, earning ₹14.70 lakh. The number of people who used the metro till 6 p.m. on Thursday was 29,959, while the total revenue stood at ₹9.14 lakh.
