KOCHI:The Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL), joining hands with the Urban Mass Transit Company (UMTC), on Friday launched a multi-modal trip planner app, Chalo, for the real-time tracking of buses and ferries.With the launch of Chalo, Kochi is the first city in India to offer live public transport tracking and an integrated journey planner, encompassing buses, ferries and Metro Rail.
The App was launched by Transport Minister A K Saseendran as part of KMRL’s seamless transportation plan for Kochi, aligned with the agency’s vision to revolutionise public transport and to get people from all walks of life to utilise public transport. The Chalo app integrates all modes of public transport in Kochi into a single live-tracking and journey planner tool for the city. One can check the live location and arrival time of their bus or ferry on their mobile before leaving and save as much as 40 minutes of waiting time each day. The app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store.
“Some people are giving up public transport for private vehicles,” said Saseendran.“It is a distressing trend. It increases traffic congestions and accidents. In addition to this, the increased fuel consumption is detrimental to the environment. I am sure Chalo app can bring back a lot of people from all sections to use public transport in Kochi.”
Features
● Know the live arrival time of bus or ferry, and leave the house accordingly
● Track the live GPS position of the bus or ferry on a map
● Plan the trip door-to-door using a multi-modal trip planner (bus, ferry, metro, auto and taxi)
● Find the cheapest and fastest trip options, including all the route options to the destination
● Travel safely with features such as ‘emergency SOS’ and live trip share with friends and family
● Locate bus stops, ferries and metro stations closest to location
Min’s metro ride to give fillip to public transport
Kochi: Transport Minister A K Saseendran on Friday travelled on the metro as part of the Public Transport observance in Kochi. Every first Friday of the month is observed as Public Transport Day, a novel initiative by the Kochi-based research agency Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) to encourage public transport here. Hibi Eden MLA and Transport Commissioner K Padmakumar also accompanied the minister during the metro ride which started from Edappally station to Maharaja’s College. During the ride, they evaluated the functioning of metro services and interacted with commuters and metro officers. “We extend our support to initiative like the Kochi Public Transport Day, which will encourage more people to take public transport. This will help in reducing traffic congestion,” he said. Hibi Eden MLA said collaborative efforts will develop a new positive culture among people to utilise public transport.