KOCHI: Kochi’s streets are soon to be filled with e-autos with Ernakulam Jilla Autorickshaw Drivers Cooperative Society (EJADCS) launching its feeder services supported with AuSa app. In the first phase, the service will begin from Fort Kochi, Kadavanthra and Elamkulam areas.
“We are starting our service close to the proposed water metro jetty in Fort Kochi. It will act as a feeder service to metro stations at Kadavanthra and Elamkuklam. Setting up of auto bays is progressing in these locations. A total of 100 autos will hit the streets in the first phase,” said Simon Edappally, director board member, EJADCS.
The society, which is aiming to start the services from all 74 divisions of the corporation has already completed the detailed survey for the same. “While we are focusing on tourists in Fort Kochi, other areas will cater to passengers arriving from nearby cities and districts. Furthermore, traditional fuel-run autos will also be part of the app,” he said.
The new head office of EJADCS was inaugurated by Kochi Mayor A Anilkumar on Thursday. Speaking at the event, the mayor vouched for the setting up of signboards across the city indicating the availability of e-autos. “We are going to expand the e-feeder services to other parts of the city in near future,” he said.
EJADCS, a collective of six trade unions, had recently won the award for ‘Innovation in urban transport during Covid-19’ under the public transport segment of the Urban Mobility India (UMI) conference - 2020. The auto society project was implemented under the Kochi Corporation’s Integrated Sustainable Urban Transport Systems for Smart Cities (SMART-SUT) scheme, supported by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).