With work on the Kochi Metro Rail gathering momentum, the city may have to put in place a feeder system for the effective use of metro rail system, feel civic administrators.
The Kochi Corporation has proposed to carry out a scientific study for the feeder system with the support of experts. The metro stations should be connected with key city centres.
Bus and share auto services will be operated for linking the city centres with the metro system.
Though the proposal for conducting the study for the feeder system has been announced in the Budget, Deputy Mayor B. Bhadra has not made any financial allocations for it.
The civic body has also plans to identify parking lots in close proximity to important metro stations in the city. A study conducted by the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) regarding the proposed metro stations would be used as the base document for the purpose and discussions would be held with the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) for identifying and developing the stations, it was suggested.
Kochi Corporation will approach the State government seeking permission to allow private boats to operate in the water routes of the city.
Promoting the use of water transport for freight movement has also found mention in the Budget.
Cycling has also caught the fancy of the civic administrators. Exclusive cycle tracks have been suggested in suitable city areas. Studies for setting up cycle tracks in Fort Kochi and Mattanchery areas will be held. Cycle parking lots will be set up at bus stops and an allocation of Rs. 3 lakh has been made for a study for the project.
The study report for pedestrian master plan and pedestrian routes will get budgetary support of Rs. 5 lakh. Road maintenance works will get Rs. 30 crore from the civic administration. The corporation has proposed to equip hospitals with facilities for identifying disabilities in newborns. A budgetary allocation of Rs. 10 lakh has been made for the purpose.
The UNICEF-supported project for making Kochi a child-friendly city got a financial allocation of Rs. 20 lakh. The fund will go into establishing the project office in Kochi, according to the Deputy Mayor’s Budget speech.
