Kochi metro explores linking waterways

Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) will incubate a special purpose vehicle to focus on the development of Kochi city's waterways, which will be integrated with the proposed metro rail system.

This is under the aegis of the Unified Metropolitan Authority to facilitate coordinated planning and implementation of the city’s transportation network. KMRL will head the newly-formed authority.

The first meeting of the transit-oriented development committee constituted by the board of KMRL held on Wednesday decided that the water transport department should commence trial services along a few urban waterways at Kochi by next month.

“The objective of transit-oriented development is to ensure more balanced urban development away from the city centre, as well as the provision of urban facilities close to metro stations.

In terms of transit-oriented development, each metro station will act as a node and a catalyst for creating local urban facilities in the vicinity of the station itself,” said Elias George, managing director of KMRL.