With Kochi’s population expected to reach 23 lakh by 2021, a mass rapid transit system is essential to address the increasing pressure on urban infrastructure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.
Mr. Modi was speaking after inaugurating the first such project in the State in Kochi on Saturday.
In his address, the Prime Minister felt the metro rail would contribute to Kochi’s economic growth. The city ranked first in international and domestic tourist arrivals in Kerala. Hence, it was fitting that Kochi should have a metro rail facility.
Mr. Modi said the Kochi metro integrated the city’s public transportation network into a single system. “The system will have a common timetable, common ticketing, and centralised command and control. It also focusses on improving last-mile connectivity and non-motorised transportation systems in the inner city,” he said.
The Kochi metro also pioneered an innovative PPP model for ticketing and banks and financial institutions were being invited through a bid process to invest in an automated fare collection system, he said.
“Kochi will be one of the few cities in the world and the first in India to have a modern open-loop smart card that can be used with other modes of transport such as buses, taxies, and autos,” the Prime Minister said.
Lauds Kochi-1 app
Lauding the Kochi-1 app released on Saturday as an e-governance platform, Mr. Modi said it would enable people to avail themselves of metro services in the initial phase. Later, it would fulfil all travel-related requirements, regular payment needs, and provide city and tourist information, he said.
The Prime Minister said the government had standardised the specifications for rolling stock and signalling systems of metro rail that would encourage manufacturers to set up facilities in India with a long-term perspective.
In line with the Make in India vision, efforts were being made to promote domestic manufacture of metro rolling stock.
Shift in urban planning
He also called for a paradigm shift in urban planning, by adopting a people-centric approach, and integrating land use and transport.
“The National Transit Oriented Development Policy released in April seeks to transform cities, from being transit dependent to being transit-oriented ones,” Mr. Modi said.
The government has taken a number of initiatives to enhance public transport, particularly in the cities. Foreign investment has been invited in this sector. Fifty cities in India are ready to implement metro rail projects, he said.
