KOCHI: The proposal for a mini, multi-transport hub near the Tripunithura railway station has been on paper for a while. Now, with Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) extending phase 1 to Tripunithura from SN junction, demand for the bus terminal has gathered pace among residents and the local body.
According to them, an extension of the metro to Tripunithura will ease the commute from the railway station to the city. “The area has the potential to be developed into a transit hub with multiple transport modes if the bus terminal is also constructed. Those coming from Poothotta, Puthiyakaavu, Vaikom, and Kottayam will have easy access to the city via the metro. As discussed and approved by the council, we submitted a request to the government to consider the project earlier this year. However, there has been no update on it so far,” said Tripunithura municipality chairperson Rema Santhosh.
“We have identified land near the railway and metro stations. However, the municipality alone cannot buy the land and proceed with the project, which is estimated to cost around Rs 100 crore,” she said. Rema said though the council also decided to request the KMRL to prepare a DPR for the proposed bus terminal, the latter said they cannot do so unless the government accords administrative sanction to the project.
Meanwhile, KMRL officials said as per the municipality’s demand, it will build a foot overbridge (FOB) connecting the Tripunithura metro and railway stations. As per the municipality’s plan, 3.5 acres of land will be required to build a bus terminal, and a new road connecting to Hill Palace Road needs to be constructed to avoid congestion in the area.
On average, Tripunithura railway station sees a footfall of over 1 lakh passengers a month. “It is one of the major stations in the state with over 1 lakh monthly passenger footfall on average. One of the problems passengers heading to the North or South railway stations from the Kottayam side face is the unnecessary halt after Tripunithura station. With the commissioning of the metro, they can reach their destination via the metro after getting off the train. The bus terminal will also be helpful for commuters and increase metro ridership,” said B Madhusoodhan, secretary of the Ernakulam District Residents Association Apex Council (EDRAAC) of the Tripunithura region.
“As per the proposal, a new road from the bus terminal connecting towards the road heading to Karingachira Junction needs to be built to allow easy movement of buses,” he said. EDRAAC is planning to submit various developmental projects in Tripunithura, including transit hub proposals, to the CM during the Nava Kerala Sadas event in the constituency.
Bridging the gap