KOCHI: The Kochi Metro Rail Limited’s (KMRL) urban feeder bus service has completed a year of operations, clocking around 14 lakh passengers and reinforcing its role as a critical last-mile link to the metro rail and water metro networks.
“The feeder bus service is a key pillar of Kochi Metro’s integrated mobility vision,” said KMRL managing director Loknath Behera.
Launched on January 16 last year, the all-electric feeder network was designed to plug accessibility gaps that limited optimal use of Kochi’s mass transit systems. In its first year, the network expanded to six major routes and was operated by a fleet of 15 electric buses. Backed by seven charging stations and a dedicated depot, the buses collectively cover about 2,300km a day, adding up to nearly seven lakh km annually.
The Aluva-CIAL corridor emerged as the top-performing route, while services linking the Medical College and Kadavanthra-Panampilly Nagar also reported strong ridership. A notable feature has been data-driven operations. Analytics-led service and charging optimisation delivered a 15% improvement in ridership and revenue, enabled by an integrated platform tracking fares, vehicle telematics and charging infrastructure.
“In a city like Kochi, with high environmental risk indicators, the urban feeder service stands as proof that careful planning and responsiveness to commuter needs can deliver zero-loss, people-centric public transport,” said Gokul T G, general manager (urban transport), KMRL.