KOCHI: With the two feeder buses of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) plying between Aluva metro station and Kochi airport gaining popularity, there is a demand to increase the number of buses.The Pavan Doot electric bus service, which was launched to provide last-mile connectivity from Aluva to Kochi airport, has a 45-minute frequency now.
“The feeder buses have a good footfall and the bus that leaves from Aluva metro station is fully occupied most of the time. However, the waiting period, if a bus is missed, is at least 45 minutes. With things getting back to normal, the frequency of travel via air has increased and a lot of people depend on these buses to reach the airport. The online-offline cabs and autos charge a huge amount to travel the 11km distance, whereas it costs less than Rs 50 on the bus,” said Shyam Kumar, an IT professional working in Bengaluru.
Like Shyam, hundreds of flyers depend on feeder buses as they are pocket-friendly and provide a comfortable journey. “There is a demand for a third bus on the route and this has been notified to KMRL officials,” said a feeder bus driver. “On average, the footfall is around 600-650 passengers on this route. A majority of them are airport employees, but there is also a good number of flyers,” he added.
Meanwhile, a KMRL official said if there is a rising demand for more buses and after analysing the existing passenger footfall, a decision would be taken about increasing the number. “The online-offline taxis charge Rs 300-350 to a maximum of Rs 700 for less than a 20-minute journey from Aluva metro station. Feeder buses would turn into a profitable business soon only if the waiting period is reduced to a maximum of 15-20 minutes from the existing 40-45 minutes,” said Shilpa R, who travels to Kochi for work once every month from Bengaluru.
“Being the metro city of the state, Kochi has the potential to provide a similar system like in Bengaluru, where buses to the city side are available in shorter time gaps,” she added.