The integrated water transport project will come up at a cost of Rs 747 crore
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said the first phase of Kochi Water Metro will become operational by March 2020.
The Water Metro is the first-of-its-kind public transportation project in the country.
Here’s all you need to know about the project:
Operator
> The project is being implemented by Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) which also operates the Kochi Metro.
> The integrated water transport project will come up at a cost of Rs 747 crore. It will be financially assisted by the German state-owned development bank KfW.
> Once complete, Kochi will be the first city in the country to have a water transport network integrated as a feeder service to the metro rail, according to KMRL.
The plan
> KMRL has identified 16 routes that will connect 10 islands. The network of routes will span around 76 kilometres.
> A fleet of 78 watercrafts will operate on this network. According to the operator, these ferries will be “fast, fuel efficient” and air-conditioned. These ferries will ply to 38 jetties. While 18 of these jetties will be main boat hubs, 20 will be minor jetties for transit services.
> Over 1 lakh people living on islanders around Kochi are expected to benefit from the project.Get access to India's fastest growing financial subscriptions service Moneycontrol Pro for as little as Rs 599 for first year. Use the code "GETPRO". Moneycontrol Pro offers you all the information you need for wealth creation including actionable investment ideas, independent research and insights & analysis For more information, check out the Moneycontrol website or mobile app.