KOCHI: On the back of rising demand for feeder bus connectivity to various destinations, especially Infopark, from the Tripunithura metro station, private operators are knocking on the doors of the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) to operate AC services under the Kochi Metro’s ‘Last Mile Connectivity Policy’.
Both residents of the royal town and techies have demanded connectivity from the Tripunithura Terminal Metro station, lying close to the railway station.
“We have submitted a memorandum to the KMRL, seeking feeder connectivity from Tripunithura Metro station. The metro station is the only one which is not located on an NH or PWD stretch. The commuters are facing last-mile connectivity issue here, as one has to go on foot a good 700 metres to reach the nearest bus stop. Feeder services will prove much beneficial to both metro and railway commuters,” said V C Jayendran, convenor, TRURA (Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents’ Association), an apex council of nearly 140 residents associations.
“Public transport facilities from the Infopark campus have long been an issue. The Kochi Metro e-feeder services to Kakkanad Water Metro and collectorate now run fully packed during peak hours. Similarly, a substantial number of techies will benefit if they operate services connecting the Infopark and the Tripunithura metro station.” said Anish Panthalani of Progressive Techies, a socio-cultural organization of techies based in the IT parks of Kerala.
The development comes even as the KMRL has its hands full with the deployment of e-feeder services.
Out of the 15 e-buses acquired, it has already deployed 13, while two are kept as reserves.
“Now we’re not thinking of any new routes and focus on consolidating the existing services. The buses are almost fully deployed and we’ve one more announced route -- Kadavanthra-Panampilly Nagar circular route, to operate the services,” said metro sources.
Meanwhile, private operators like Kleen Smart Bus Limited (KSBL) are knocking the doors of the KMRL to give the required permission to operate the services.
“We’re ready to operate the service and have sought the permission of the KMRL under its Last Mile Connectivity Policy,” B J Antony, managing director, KSBL told TNIE.
The KSBL, which earlier used to operate feeder buses, connecting the Aluva Metro station with the Kochi airport, now successfully runs point-to-point AC bus services in the Kodungallur-North Paravur-Infopark route, using a CNG bus.
The bus leaves Kodungallur at 7 am to reach Infopark by 8.45 am. In the return direction, it leaves Infopark at 5.15 pm to reach the destination by 7 pm.
The ‘Metro Connect’ e-feeder buses introduced by the KMRL are evoking good response with over two lakh commuters availing the air-conditioned facility in nearly two months. The KMRL introduced the 33-seater electric buses first on January 16, deploying them in the Aluva-Airport, Kalamassery-Medical College, Kalamassery-CUSAT, Kalamassery-Infopark, the Kakkanad Water Metro Terminal-Infopark-Collectorate and the High Court-MG Road circular routes. The average daily ridership is 1350 in Aluva-Airport route, 730 in Kalamassery-Medical College route, and 890 in Infopark route. The fare is `20 for a five-km distance.
Metro connect big hit, sees over 2l rides in 2 months
Residents association highlights the 700m walk commuters face to reach the nearest bus stop from the metro station
Techies say Infopark suffers from poor transport and will benefit from feeder links to Tripunithura
KMRL’s e-feeder buses are nearly maxed out, with 13 of 15 deployed across major routes
Metro Connect e-feeders have seen over 2 lakh riders in just two months since launch
Fares for e-feeder buses are capped at H20 for a five-km stretch, ensuring affordability