KOCHI: One of the most capital-intensive projects executed in Kerala, the Kochi Metro Rail, will get its new chief this week. A P M Mohammed Hanish, who was associated closely with the city as District Collector from 2008-11, will assume the office of the managing director of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) on November 2. He will take over the reins of the agency from Elias George who played a prominent role in the success story of the project.
According to town planning experts, one of the major challenges in front of the new officer will be maintaining the momentum of the works initiated by George during his tenure. “The change in leadership of KMRL comes at an important time as the agency is all slated to become the decision-maker of the urban transport infrastructure sector of the Kochi agglomeration,” said an expert.
The immediate matter requiring the attention of the new managing director will be the completion of the land acquisition for the widening of the Vyttila-Petta road. As per the plans, the service extension up to Tripunithura should be completed in another two years. However, the work at the fourth stretch between Vyttila and Tripunithura Petta is progressing at a snail’s pace owing to the delay in land acquisition. However, the land acquisition wing of the district administration has informed the KMRL authorities they would hand over the 183.52 cents by December 15.
Along with the widening of the road, the Chambakkara bridge at the stretch needs to be reconstructed. The DMRC’s next target will be commissioning the project up to Thykkoodam within the next 18 months. The civil work at Jose Junction has already been launched and the construction of viaducts near the south railway station is also progressing. The reconstruction of Chambakkara bridge has already been entrusted with Mary Matha Constructions. Though the DMRC has issued the necessary orders for commencing the work, the contractors have not been able to commence the work owing to the delay in handing over the land.
Making extensions viable
Though the KMRL has submitted the DPR for the second phase of Kochi Metro Rail before the Centre during the tenure of Elias, the Centre has asked the agency to resubmit the proposal. The Centre recently amended the metro rail policy and asked the states to submit the proposals by finding alternate solutions for revenue generations. The Urban Development Ministry has recommended to the Centre that as the Metro Rail projects cannot be commercially viable from passenger operations alone, the agencies submitting the proposal should devise proper plans to ensure the financial feasibility. The new managing director will have to monitor and resubmit the proposals and make sure the preparatory works between Kakkanad and JNI Stadium are completed on time.
One card serves all
The KMRL is also planning to offer special discounts for regular commuters on Kochi Metro. Regular passengers who hold Kochi1 cards can also travel in other feeder services, including buses, cabs and autorickshaws. The same card can also be used in other modes of transport, including boats. The integration of transport activities will be easier once the smart cards are launched.
Another decision the new chief will have to take is regarding the extension of Kochi Metro to Nedumbassery Airport. There is already pressure from various political parties and administrators for extending the project to CIAL. The new chief will also have to maintain the good relationship with DMRC and ensure the continuous association of metro man E Sreedharan with the project. Sreedharan’s presence was vital during the implementation of the first phase, both in the implementation and in winning the confidence of the public.
A good supporting act
The Water Metro project is another challenge. According to experts, the Water Metro project is expected to be a game-changer. The Rs 747 crore-project aims mainly at launching modernised boats, revamping of boat jetties and development of islands. The much-delayed Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) bill is expected to be presented before the coming Assembly.
Once the bill is passed, rules and regulations will be made for integration of urban transport sector in greater Kochi area. Once the UMTA Bill becomes an Act, KMRL will also have to undertake the role of an umbrella agency which will coordinate various stakeholders and controls the transport activities of the greater Kochi. Some of the key objectives of the UMTA include integrating metro rail, buses, autos, taxis, freight vehicles, and even non-motorised modes of transport, introducing seamless ticketing, GPS mapping of vehicles, a common control room and integration of bus timings.