Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is struggling to roll out feeder e-buses to operate from metro stations and Water Metro terminals, seven years after the metro was commissioned.
As per revised figures, a total of 15 feeder e-buses are envisaged to augment first- and last-mile connectivity from metro stations and another 20 e-buses from boat terminals. “This is critical to increase patronage in the metro to over one lakh a day and in ferries to around 10,000 since the KSRTC is not too keen on operating feeder buses from metro stations to towns in the immediate suburbs. The demand for last-mile connectivity will increase when the metro’s 1.20-km Thripunithura terminal station extension is commissioned in around a month, and we hope to introduce a dedicated feeder service at the earliest,” Kochi metro sources said.
Increasing footfall in the capital-intensive metro that cost over ₹7,000 crore is also necessary for the fare-box income to exceed ₹100 crore. It was ₹96.08 crore in 2023.
