Establishing a State transport fund under the Department of Transport, technical directorate of transport, Kerala bus port Ltd, Kerala logistics port Ltd, green mobility corridor, e-bus corridor, and a new-generation tram are the key activities to be part of a resilient transport system under the Rebuild Kerala Initiative.
The resilient transport system has been mooted in the wake of the disruption in road and rail traffic, including the Kochi metro, collapse of public transportation in parts of central Kerala, and the closure of the Cochin international airport due to waterlogging of the runway in the floods in August last.
The transportation sector was one of the worst hit sectors in the floods that brought Kerala to a standstill.
The resilient transport system has been chalked out to mitigate this situation on the basis of eight critical challenges facing the sector.
The challenges include the increasing trend in personal vehicle registration, poor quality and lack of incentives for the public transport sector, inadequate augmentation of road infrastructure, reduced dependence on inland water transport, congestion in metropolitan cities, and lack of investment in public transport infrastructure.
The proposed technical directorate of transport is to act as a ‘think tank’ to reform the transport sector, seek investments, and manage the State transport fund while Kerala bus port Ltd will take care of integrated terminal transit operations.
Other proposals
Metropolitan transport authorities have been mooted for the four cities having international airports. Kerala logistics port Ltd is being set up for sustainable logistics operations. ‘Capacity building and reskilling’ of department officials with the latest developments in the sector have also been proposed.
A green mobility corridor has been proposed on the 52-km Kodungalloor-Eramaloor stretch of National Highway 66 at ₹580.35 crore, while an e-bus corridor has been suggested for the 46.3-km Poothotta-Angamaly stretch of the State Highway at ₹677.51 crore. As part of carbon-neutral Sabarimala, an e-bus corridor has been mooted on the 19-km Nilackal-Pampa stretch in Pathanamthitta.
A Vallarpadam-Edapally rail bus with stations at Vallarpadam, Mulavukad, Vaduthala, and Edappally and a tram, a form of light rapid transit system, along the 10-km Goshree- Fort Kochi- Thoppumpady stretch at an estimate of ₹1,000 crore in Phase I figure in the system.
