Kochi Metro Rail Ltd to roll out e-autos today

KOCHI:  As part of its ‘Go green’ motto, the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) will roll out e-autorickshaws on Wednesday. These e-autos will be pressed into service as a feeder to Kochi Metro and will ensure last mile connectivity. The e-auto project is operated by Ernakulam Auto Rickshaw Drivers Co-operative Society, a body consisting of all the six trade unions in the city. It is also one of the major highlights of the project. 

In the first phase, e-autos will be distributed in six metro stations such as Aluva, Kalamassery, Edappally, Kaloor, MG Road and Maharaja’s College. The vehicle uses the latest technology, which ensures good performance and with one single charge it will get above 70 km stretch. During the first phase, Kinetic will provide 16 E-autos and 22 more will be added to the fleet soon. All the vehicles are coming with a customised design which was supplied by Kinetic Green Energy & Power Solutions.

“We are glad to introduce E-Autos to Kochi city as part of out feeder service. The same fuels KMRL’s push for e-mobility,” said KMRL managing director A P M Mohammed Hanish. The E-autos will be exclusively used for the purpose of metro feeder only and is operational during the metro operational hours.

Hanish will flag off the e-autos at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Metro Station on Wednesday.  The special uniforms for the drivers of the society will also be distributed at the function. “We are happy to join hands with KMRL to launch the unique E-Auto project, said K K Ibrahimkutty and Syamantha Bhadran, chairman and convener of the society respectively.

The Co-ordination Committee consists of six trade unions representing, CITU, AITUC, INTUC, TUCI, STU and BMS. The committee is represented by K K  Ibrahim Kutty (INTUC) as the chairman, Syamantha Bhadran (CITU) as the convener and Binu Varghese (AITUC),  Raghunath Panaveli (STU), T B Mini (TUCI), Simon Edappally (INTUC) and K Anil Kumar (BMS) as other members.

The green route
In the first phase, e-autos will be distributed in six metro stations such as Aluva, Kalamassery, Edappally, Kaloor, MG Road and Maharaja’s College. 
The vehicle uses the latest technology, which ensures good performance and, with one single charge it will get above 70 km stretch.