Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is readying to roll out 10 electric buses that it took on lease from a Hyderabad-based company to operate feeder trips from metro stations in a month’s time. The move is part of efforts to streamline the long-awaited inter-modal integration, to establish connectivity to locales away from the metro corridor and to improve footfall in the transport system.
“The routes must be decided and discussions are on with Kleen Smart Bus Limited [KSBL] to operate the service. The bus operators are positive to the venture. The fleet will be augmented based on the response to the first lot of e-buses,” said official sources.
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) had earlier taken the buses on lease and operated a few of them on inter-district routes. KSBL was formed a year ago by arraying under one umbrella four of the seven private bus companies whose 500-odd buses operated in the greater Kochi area. One among the company’s long-term aims is to replace the existing fleet of conventional buses, most of which are over a decade old, with e-buses.
A Non-Resident Keralites (NRK) forum had evinced interest in funding KSBL, after the bus company was proposed at the Ascent 2020 investment summit held in Kochi. An agreement involving the parties is in its final stage and is expected to be inked shortly. Most of them had sought government involvement to the tune of 26% in the company, on the lines of Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL). The involvement of Kerala Metropolitan Transport Authority (KMTA) and the Transport department too has been sought.
The government’s stake in the venture is expected to help avail loan to procure buses which are powered by electricity or LNG. An e-bus is priced around ₹1.50 crore while a conventional bus costs around ₹35 lakh. However, e-buses are considered ecofriendly since they do not cause air and sound pollution. Their maintenance cost too is very low as they come with less that two dozen moving parts, as compared to over 1,000 for conventional buses.
