The Kochi Water Metro ferries would ultimately increase the standard of life of people living in the islands that they would call at, Industries Minister P. Rajeeve said here on Tuesday, after flagging off a vessel in the High Court-Vypeen corridor, soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Water Metro project.
The ₹1,136-crore project will take Kochi into the league of cities that have living standards comparable to the developed world. The project that will considerably lessen carbon emission is being funded by the State government and a loan availed from German lending agency KfW. Every Malayali ought to be proud of it since it would be a model for other Indian cities. The Cochin Shipyard to which Kochi Metro Rail Limited entrusted the task of constructing the first batch of 23 vessels had created history in that regard, he said.
Mr. Rajeeve said the project was yet another crown for Kerala, recognised globally as a must-see destination. He went on to launch the project’s website and handed over the first integrated mobility card of the metro to Mayor M. Anilkumar. Mr. Rajeeve, Mr. Anilkumar, MP Hibi Eden, MLAs, Water Metro Chief General Manager Shaji Janardhanan, COO Sajan P. John and Project Director M.P. Ramnavas were among those who took a ride in the ferry.
The project’s commercial operation will begin from 7 a.m. on Wednesday on the High Court-Vypeen route, and on the Vyttila-Kakkanad route from Thursday. The ferries will operate every 15 minutes during peak hours, and based on demand the rest of the time. The service will continue till 8 p.m. The Managing Director of KMRL and Kochi Water Metro Limited (KWML) Loknath Behera will board the vessel from Vypeen.
The fare on the High Court-Vypeen route is ₹20 and on the Vyttila-Kakkanad route ₹30. Passes are available for ₹180, ₹600 and ₹1,500, for different durations. Once all 78 ferries are ready, they will link 38 terminals spread over 76 km. The 100-passenger capacity ferries can attain 8 knots (15 kmph) speed in battery mode and 10 knots (18 kmph) speed in hybrid mode. The 23 ferries will be followed by another batch of 55 fifty-passenger ferries.
With the launch of the country’s first Water Metro project, Kochi has become the only city in India to have a metro-rail network and a Water Metro. The first among the ferries to operate with guests on board in the corridor bore the names Kollam, Neeleshwaram, and Azheekal. The first passengers were 10 differently-abled children from Centre for Empowerment and Enrichment and their parents.
The AC electric-hybrid ferries are being considered the waterway extension of Kochi Metro and have similar interiors. They will provide islanders modern and fast connectivity to the mainland, while tourists will be able to have a backwater cruise at affordable cost.
