KOCHI: Kochi Metro ridership has surged in the last three weeks, with an increasing number of commuters turning to the mass rapid transit system as incessant monsoon rains add to the proliferating network of potholes, which have exacerbated the gridlock on key stretches of road, especially during rush hour. “While our average daily ridership is one lakh, this was breached several days this month,” a Kochi Metro spokesperson said. Total daily ridership was 1,10,458 on July 7, an impressive 1,32,973 on July 8, 1,15,196 on July 10, and 1,13,873 on July 14.
However, the city’s much-touted Water Metro has seen a dip in patronage since the onset of heavy rains: Daily passenger footfall was 2,704 on July 15, against the average of 6,000. “Earlier, I used to take a private bus to the railway station. But now I get down at JLN Stadium and catch the metro. I do this to avoid slow-moving traffic on Banerjee Road. Traffic woes have compounded with the arrival of rainy season. I switched to the metro after I missed my return train one day,” said Aparna S, an IT professional who commutes daily between Alappuzha and Infopark.
Pothole-riddled and waterlogged roads have compounded the misery of motorists and pedestrians alike and traffic blocks are now a common sight at major intersections such as Palarivattom, Edappally and Vyttila.
“With incessant rains continuing to lash the city, daily city commuters, especially those living near metro stations, have switched over to the elevated transportation system,” pointed out V C Jayendran, convenor of the Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents Associations (TRURA), an umbrella organisation of nearly 140 residents’ associations.
Highlighting the metro’s unique advantage, he added, “It assures that you reach your destination on time. It takes only 15 minutes to travel from Tripunithura railway station to South railway station. It cancels out the unpredictability of taking to congested roads.”
The situation is especially bad at Vyttila Junction. “Now, the queue of vehicles at the junction extends all the way to Elamkulam metro station during the morning and evening peak hours,” rued Vyttila councillor Sunitha Dixon.
Expressing anguish over the delay in implementing a traffic-reform plan, she noted that measures such as the ‘free left turn’ haven’t been effectively implemented. “Stakeholders should carry out the proposals on a war-footing,” Sunitha said, adding that the Kerala Road Fund Board has allotted Rs 1.5 crore for developing the junction.
As Kochi grapples with its monsoon-induced nightmares, the metro stands tall as a crucial lifeline, offering relief to thousands of commuters navigating the city’s increasingly challenging road network.