Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) will develop walkways on either side of Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road, owned by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), as part of the initiative to promote non-motorised transport (NMT) in the city and metro-station-oriented development.
A draft of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the project is ready, and it will be finalised after discussions between the two agencies on Monday. A total of two cents at half-a-dozen spots in the 3.20-km corridor will have to be acquired to ensure seamless walkway connectivity, official sources said.
Kaloor-Kadavanthra road is one of the three north-south arteries in the city and connects Kaloor and Kadavanthra metro stations. The walkway development on the stretch as part of the National Urban Transportation Policy of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), which aims to provide seamless and sustainable mobility to all, with focus on first- and last-mile connectivity. In this, NMT is seen as an integral element of urban transport worldwide, considering the carbon footprint of motorised transport. The NMT infrastructure in and around the metro corridor is being executed with financial aid from AFD, a French development agency.
KMRL will have to maintain the assets developed on the walkway for a period of five years from the date of completion of the project or up to December 2029, whichever is earlier. It will then be handed back to the GCDA. The metro agency can generate revenue from various amenities readied here to meet the maintenance expenses of the walkway, it is learnt.
On its part, the GCDA will have to deal with any issue or dispute related to the land, right of way, and eviction of encroachments. The agency will have to resurface the road on the 3.20-km stretch. It will also have to ensure upkeep and maintenance of drains.
Being a revenue sharing model, KMRL can generate revenue from the infrastructure developed under NMT for 10 years or up to December 2034, whichever is earlier, through advertisements, events, kiosks, and other revenue models as per government policies. The revenue will be shared equally between the two agencies.
