KOCHI: Work on phase-2 of the Vyttila Mobility Hub, estimated to cost around Rs 590-crore, is on the verge of being shelved as a portion of the land originally identified for the hub’s expansion will be handed over to the KSRTC for the proposed bus terminal.
“Preliminary DPR (detailed project report) has been submitted. The final DPR will be taken up at the next board meeting. In all, 2.9 acres originally part of the land identified for the hub’s second phase expansion will be handed over to the KSRTC. However, we will retain ownership of the land,” said Madhavikutty M S, MD, Vyttila Mobility Hub Society (VMHS).
The Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) had submitted the revised DPR for the hub’s phase-2 expansion on January 2019, but severe fund paucity led to the project being put into cold storage.
A VMHS official said no new decision on the expansion was taken after the NITI Aayog turned down the suggestion for foreign aid from agencies such as Germany’s AFD. The state government has also not taken any decision, he said.
This continued “indecision” had invited sharp criticism from various quarters, especially in the wake of the growing footfall at the hub.
“Nearly 25 acres of land at a prime spot in the city was acquired on the promise of building an international bus terminal that integrates different modes of transport. However, the first phase offers bare minimum facilities. Now it’s almost certain the second phase expansion will not happen. This is gross mismanagement of prime property,” alleged Sunitha Dixon, Vyttila councillor.
She alleged that even the current renovation work undertaken by the Cochin Smart Mission Ltd (CSML) was moving at snail’s pace. “The VMHS failed to ensure timely completion of work. The renovation will not be wrapped up before monsoon sets in. Moreover, the contract period (with CSML) is set to end in June,” Sunitha said.
Amid all this, the VMHS is reportedly grappling with severe manpower shortage. “The DPR for the KSRTC terminal was submitted some time ago but we have been told that verification is being withheld, as there is none in the assistant engineer post. The incumbent was transferred some time back and none has been appointed in his place,” said Ernakulam MLA T J Vinod, who has been associated with the project.
“I’ve taken up the matter with P Rajeeve who promised a solution soon. The upcoming KSRTC terminal will be able to accommodate private and inter-state buses,” Vinod said.
Hub phase-2
The second phase expansion of the Vyttila mobility hub was planned to be wrapped up in two years, by 2021. The proposal was to convert the existing terminal to operate inter-state services, while two new terminals for city buses and regional buses would be built. Construction of 101 bus bays, including 16 boarding and alighting bays for city buses and 76 boarding and nine alighting bays for regional buses, was proposed. This was in addition to 78 bus bays earmarked for idle bus parking. The design proposed a land use pattern whereby 39% of the total project area of 25.16 acres would be earmarked for green space, 34% for bus terminals and 27% for road surface. A multi-level car parking for 400 cars, which would be accessible through ramps, was also mooted.
KSRTC terminal
The new KSRTC terminal in the Vyttila hub is being initiated following a land swapping arrangement. Under it, KSRTC will hand over four acres of land at Karikkamury to VMHS, a special-purpose vehicle set up by the state government, in exchange of 2.9 acres at Vyttila Mobility Hub.