E-autos to offer last-mile connectivity in city soon

Corp & auto drivers’ society sign agreement | 100 e-autos to ply in 3 places in initial phase of ‘Launching shared e-autos in Kochi’ project
E-autos in Thiruvananthapuram. (Photo| EPS)
E-autos in Thiruvananthapuram. (Photo| EPS)

KOCHI: In a bid to solve the last mile connectivity problem in the city, Kochi Corporation and the Ernakulam Jilla Autorickshaw Drivers Cooperative Society (EJADCS) have signed a joint declaration of intent (JDI) for operating e-autorickshaws in the city. Mayor Soumini Jain and Deputy Mayor K R Premkumar and EJADCS president M B  Syamanthabhadran and secretary K K  Ibrahim Kutty signed the agreement.

The initial phase of the project – titled ‘Launching shared e-autos in Kochi – will have 100 e-autorickshaws which will operate in Fort Kochi, Kadavanthra and Elamkulam. The e-autorickshaws will operate on pre-arranged routes on a fixed fare basis. The corporation launched the shared e-auto project in July 2019 with the support of Smart Integrated Sustainable Urban Transport Systems for Smart Cities, an Indo-German joint venture. 

“Through this project, the corporation aims to connect the hinterlands of the city, which are not connected by the existing public transport system. The council had approved the proposal for the project on January 28 this year and the draft on May 26,” Soumini said. 

She said the joint initiative will pave the way for the smooth running of the shared e-auto project. Subsidy for purchase of e-autorickshaws for the pilot project and financial assistance for other infrastructure facilities will be provided by German Development agency GIZ. Land for charging stations in selected areas will be provided by the corporation.

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