Water Metro banks on sustainable planning
When three sophisticated air-conditioned boats set sail on the Kochi backwaters to connect the mainland to Vypin island on Wednesday, the port city became India’s first to have a water metro service. The project, executed by Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL), is the first step to usher in an integrated transport system in Kerala, connecting Metro Rail and Water Metro. Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially inaugurated the service on Tuesday.
The Water Metro is expected to drastically reduce travel time from one part of the city to another. Once fully operational by 2035, the service will connect 10 islands that make up Kochi, through 15 identified routes spanning 78 km, with a fleet of 78 electrically propelled hybrid ferries plying to and from 38 jetties. The Kerala government fully owns the Rs 819 crore project,and a major portion of the funding is through a loan of 83 million euros (Rs 579.3 crore) from a German agency called KfW. The state government will provide Rs 102 crore for the prestigious project, and the remaining is being mobilised through public-private participation.
The showpiece project, however, has not been without hiccups. It was conceived in 2014 and was initially expected to commence commercial operations four years later. However, a combination of factors, including the outbreak of the pandemic and the delay in getting the boats, pushed the launch back by five years, escalating the project cost from the initial Rs 747 crore. There is some criticism about the high fares too. The minimum fare of Rs 20 looks expensive given that most islanders—the target daily commuters—are daily wagers and fisherfolk. The question is when cheaper options are available—the fare charged by the Kerala government’s water transport service’s ferry boats to Vypin is just Rs 6—how will Water Metro be sustainable in the long run?
The Metro authorities, however, are focusing equally on the tourist segment. They expect Water Metro to become popular with tourists as the ride offers breathtaking views of Kochi’s islands and backwaters and opens immense possibilities that can be tapped. But for that, there should be greater connectivity between the islands and also more boats. The Water Metro, if planned and executed with a vision, can bring a big difference to the city’s public transport sector and its tourism potential.