KOCHI: Sooner or later, you will be sipping a cup of coffee or enjoying a meal with friends and family overlooking the backwater after taking a ride in the country’s first water metro. The huge, spacious terminals of water metro at High Court Junction, Vyttila, Vypeen, and the upcoming one at Thevara will be converted into hang-out spots in the city.
At the beginning stage of conceiving the water metro project, a commercial space along with the terminal for its viability was planned. “While preparing the detailed project report, commercial spaces at the terminal in major spots were planned to generate non-fare box revenue,” said an official with Kochi Metro.
As of now, efforts are to launch water metro service, which has been repeatedly missing deadlines.
High Court, Vypeen, Vyttila, and Kakkanad, where the terminal works have been completed, have 38,616 sq ft of commercial activity and altogether over 67,000 sq ft in 11 terminals. “Once operational, we will be renting out commercial spaces available at High Court Junction, Vytilla, and the upcoming Thevara terminal, just like in metro stations,” the official said.”It can be either a restaurant space to hang out in or shops. Nothing has been planned,” the official added.
Meanwhile, the delay in launching the water metro has become the talk of the town. “Despite the terminals being ready and the boats delivered, the authorities have not opened the service to the public.
This is the best time to launch the service when the city is expecting footfall from domestic and international tourists after the pandemic,” said an official with KMRL on condition of anonymity.
The terminals at Cheranalloor, Eloor, and Chittoor are nearing completion, while work on the ones in Fort Kochi and Mattancherry has just begun. A total of 36 terminals are envisaged for the project, with 15 identified routes, connecting 10 islands along a network that spans 78 km.