The operating profit of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has stabilised at approximately ₹2 lakh per day, post commissioning of the metro’s Thykoodam extension a week ago.
The trend has been attributed to daily commuter patronage doubling from an average of 40,000 a day to over 80,000 on almost all days since the commissioning of the 5.50-km-long extension. Saturday saw commuter footprints touch 95,285, while it was 89,133 on Sunday, and 81,000 on Friday. The ridership on Monday (September 9) was 81,501.
KMRL managing director A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish said the metro had now become the second in India, after the Delhi metro, to make operating profit. “We crossed the 80,000 passenger mark thrice during the past week. The operating profit has been approximately ₹2 lakh since April on most days. It has stabilised following last week’s extension. We hope the figure will further increase when the metro touches Pettah, located a kilometre away from Thykoodam, in January,” he told The Hindu .
The increase in commuter patronage has also been attributed to the flat 50% discount on ticket fare, the introduction of ₹125 daily pass, using which one can travel any number of times each day on any route, the ₹250 weekend pass, which allows commuters to similarly travel any number of trips on Saturday and Sunday, and the extension of the metro’s operational hours from 10 p.m. earlier to the present 11 p.m. Moreover, commuters who avail monthly pass are already getting a 33% fare discount.
Metro sources hoped that the ridership would touch the 1 lakh mark on Tuesday or Wednesday, when families on Onam vacation are expected to use the metro. The horrendous condition of most roads in Kochi and its suburbs has made the metro an even more attractive proposition to travel, they said.
Moreover, the expected lifting of speed curbs on the Maharaja’s College-Thykoodam stretch from September 19 will reduce the Aluva-Thykoodam commuting time from 53 minutes to 44 minutes. The recording of operating surplus comes against the backdrop of the metro incurring an average loss of ₹12 lakh per day in 2017-’18, despite non-ticketing revenues like advertisements complementing the income from ticket sale.
Last-mile connectivity
Meanwhile, KMRL and the District Autorickshaw Cooperative Society have decided to deploy sufficient number of autos at all the 21 metro stations to ensure last-mile connectivity, considering the rise in ridership. The auto society will ensure that there are at least five autos at a station at any given time.
