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NEW DELHI: Kochi will be the first Indian city where water connectivity will be developed as a feeder service to the Metro rail. New boats which will be procured for this project will provide the same transportation experience as the Metro, and will be called 'Water Metros'.
Kochi Metro Rail, the Kerala government and German funding agency KfW will sign an agreement for this project on Saturday involving a Rs 747-crore investment. This is also the first time such a huge investment is being brought in for improving urban water-borne passenger traffic.
Financing for this project is being done by the Indo-German Bilateral Cooperation, under the 'climate-friendly urban mobility' plan. KfW will provide financial assistance of 85 million (approximately Rs 597 crore) and the Kerala government will give Rs102 crore. The major part of the project is procurement of modernised boats. Two variants of air-conditioned and Wi-Fi-enabled catamaran passenger ferries, with passenger capacity of 50 and 100 respectively, will be introduced. The boats will operate at an optimal speed of eight knots, with the potential to increase up to 12 knots, once the dedicated water transit corridor is established.
Apart from the development of the ferry service, the project proposes development of the existing and new access roads providing increased accessibility to the jetties and enhanced mobility within the islands, infrastructure for ensuring safety and security to all its users by way of active and well-lit streets and CCTV cameras.
A KMRL spokesman said promoting use of small-occupancy feeder modes such as mini midi feeder buses and electric rickshaws to access the jetties and other nonmotorised transport infrastructure besides public bicycle sharing schemes will be part of the project.
The major jetties or main boat hubs will be developed with Wi-Fi-enabled social recreational opportunities around the jetty locations.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...o-weigh-anchor-today/articleshow/52804369.cms
Kochi Metro agency promises water transit corridor in 2017
After Metro, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) is now focusing on implementing an integrated water transport system. By January 2017, KMRL plans to link mainland Ernakulam with major jetties on the islands surrounding it and the agency will place boat procurement orders by August 2016. In a workshop held on Saturday, KMRL unveiled the plan for the 'water Metro' project that envisages the development of 16 identified routes, connecting 38 jetties across 10 islands covering a 76km network.
KMRL MD Elias George said the project, which would be implemented in two phases, would become fully operational in 2019. The agency intends to introduce a fleet of 78 fast, fuel efficient, air-conditioned ferries. Of the 38 jetties, 18 will be developed as main boat hubs, while the remaining 20 will be minor jetties for transit services. The project will be integrated with Kochi Metro, road and rail network.
A survey showed that people are willing to shift to water transport if they are assured of an effective service. The daily crowd is estimated to be 40,316 by 2019, and 53,592 by 2025. "It is better we use FRP boats that have a speed of 10 knots. A diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system is preferred. The encroachments by Chinese fishing nets have to be removed and proper dredging is required at regular intervals," said Rear Admiral (retd) B R Menon, who headed the panel.
Former mayor KJ Sohan - who headed the panel on integration of transport systems - said parking areas will have to be developed at boat jetties and there should be feeder services. Director of Inland Water Authority of India Unni N said that the agency has completed dredging on a 55km-stretch of the project area as it is part of national waterway 3. KMRL said there should be provisions for cycle rental and cycle tracks at the jetties.
"The project is a bigger game changer than Metro. Our intension is to start the project in 2016 and finish it within three years. We expect the German development bank -KfW (funding agency) - to clear the loan of Rs 819 crore by February so that we can begin works in March," he said. Phase I will see 43 boats being operated on seven routes in 2017, with the remaining routes being completed in phase II with 27 boats.
In the detailed discussion held on boats and docking system, integration of transport system, land, environment and dredging, operation and growth potential; experts and people's representatives gave suggestions that have to be incorporated in the detailed project report. The discussion panel recommended fibre-reinforced plastic boats (FRP), on board and off board cameras and a reliable helpline system. The panel put the capacity between 50 and 100 for boats, while asking the survey department to look into dredging and related matters.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...sit-corridor-in-2017/articleshow/50252836.cms
Rs.741-cr. water transport project gets metro board nod
: The 23rd meeting of the Board of Directors of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) that was held in Delhi on Monday approved the institutional and financial architecture of the integrated water transport project mooted by the agency in Greater Kochi region.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Madhusoodan Prasad, Secretary, Urban Development and Chairman of the metro agency.
The Rs.741-crore integrated water transport project got the Centre’s approval earlier this month. The approval of German bank KfW, which is expected to provide a soft loan of Rs.595 crore, is awaited.
Land acquisition
Another Rs.72 crore is required for land acquisition. A total of Rs.102 crore will be contributed by Kerala government to the project that aims to introduce 78 modern, air-conditioned vessels in Greater Kochi region, including to islands located in northern parts of the city.
Boat jetties will be built and existing ones renovated, while road connectivity to the jetties will be improved and streetlights installed. Feeder buses and autos too have been envisaged.
Two variants of air-conditioned and Wi-Fi enabled glass reinforced plastic (GRP) catamaran ferries with passenger capacity of 50 and 100 respectively have been recommended in the detailed project report prepared by the Urban Mass Transit Company Limited (UMTC). The boats will operate every 10 or 20 minutes, linking the city with West Kochi and other islands. Tourism is also proposed to be promoted as part of the project. Sixteen out of 38 jetties will be developed in the first phase. Two boatyards have been proposed, one each at Thevara and Pizhala.
The metro board also decided to start the preparation for the revenue operations of Kochi Metro by mid-2016 and asked the operations team to prepare the list of things to be done. The board also formed a committee for selection of director (projects).
The board further reviewed the project progress and the schedule of progress for the next few months.
Kochi Metro Rail, the Kerala government and German funding agency KfW will sign an agreement for this project on Saturday involving a Rs 747-crore investment. This is also the first time such a huge investment is being brought in for improving urban water-borne passenger traffic.
Financing for this project is being done by the Indo-German Bilateral Cooperation, under the 'climate-friendly urban mobility' plan. KfW will provide financial assistance of 85 million (approximately Rs 597 crore) and the Kerala government will give Rs102 crore. The major part of the project is procurement of modernised boats. Two variants of air-conditioned and Wi-Fi-enabled catamaran passenger ferries, with passenger capacity of 50 and 100 respectively, will be introduced. The boats will operate at an optimal speed of eight knots, with the potential to increase up to 12 knots, once the dedicated water transit corridor is established.
Apart from the development of the ferry service, the project proposes development of the existing and new access roads providing increased accessibility to the jetties and enhanced mobility within the islands, infrastructure for ensuring safety and security to all its users by way of active and well-lit streets and CCTV cameras.
A KMRL spokesman said promoting use of small-occupancy feeder modes such as mini midi feeder buses and electric rickshaws to access the jetties and other nonmotorised transport infrastructure besides public bicycle sharing schemes will be part of the project.
The major jetties or main boat hubs will be developed with Wi-Fi-enabled social recreational opportunities around the jetty locations.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...o-weigh-anchor-today/articleshow/52804369.cms
Kochi Metro agency promises water transit corridor in 2017
After Metro, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) is now focusing on implementing an integrated water transport system. By January 2017, KMRL plans to link mainland Ernakulam with major jetties on the islands surrounding it and the agency will place boat procurement orders by August 2016. In a workshop held on Saturday, KMRL unveiled the plan for the 'water Metro' project that envisages the development of 16 identified routes, connecting 38 jetties across 10 islands covering a 76km network.
KMRL MD Elias George said the project, which would be implemented in two phases, would become fully operational in 2019. The agency intends to introduce a fleet of 78 fast, fuel efficient, air-conditioned ferries. Of the 38 jetties, 18 will be developed as main boat hubs, while the remaining 20 will be minor jetties for transit services. The project will be integrated with Kochi Metro, road and rail network.
A survey showed that people are willing to shift to water transport if they are assured of an effective service. The daily crowd is estimated to be 40,316 by 2019, and 53,592 by 2025. "It is better we use FRP boats that have a speed of 10 knots. A diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system is preferred. The encroachments by Chinese fishing nets have to be removed and proper dredging is required at regular intervals," said Rear Admiral (retd) B R Menon, who headed the panel.
Former mayor KJ Sohan - who headed the panel on integration of transport systems - said parking areas will have to be developed at boat jetties and there should be feeder services. Director of Inland Water Authority of India Unni N said that the agency has completed dredging on a 55km-stretch of the project area as it is part of national waterway 3. KMRL said there should be provisions for cycle rental and cycle tracks at the jetties.
"The project is a bigger game changer than Metro. Our intension is to start the project in 2016 and finish it within three years. We expect the German development bank -KfW (funding agency) - to clear the loan of Rs 819 crore by February so that we can begin works in March," he said. Phase I will see 43 boats being operated on seven routes in 2017, with the remaining routes being completed in phase II with 27 boats.
In the detailed discussion held on boats and docking system, integration of transport system, land, environment and dredging, operation and growth potential; experts and people's representatives gave suggestions that have to be incorporated in the detailed project report. The discussion panel recommended fibre-reinforced plastic boats (FRP), on board and off board cameras and a reliable helpline system. The panel put the capacity between 50 and 100 for boats, while asking the survey department to look into dredging and related matters.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...sit-corridor-in-2017/articleshow/50252836.cms
Rs.741-cr. water transport project gets metro board nod
: The 23rd meeting of the Board of Directors of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) that was held in Delhi on Monday approved the institutional and financial architecture of the integrated water transport project mooted by the agency in Greater Kochi region.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Madhusoodan Prasad, Secretary, Urban Development and Chairman of the metro agency.
The Rs.741-crore integrated water transport project got the Centre’s approval earlier this month. The approval of German bank KfW, which is expected to provide a soft loan of Rs.595 crore, is awaited.
Land acquisition
Another Rs.72 crore is required for land acquisition. A total of Rs.102 crore will be contributed by Kerala government to the project that aims to introduce 78 modern, air-conditioned vessels in Greater Kochi region, including to islands located in northern parts of the city.
Boat jetties will be built and existing ones renovated, while road connectivity to the jetties will be improved and streetlights installed. Feeder buses and autos too have been envisaged.
Two variants of air-conditioned and Wi-Fi enabled glass reinforced plastic (GRP) catamaran ferries with passenger capacity of 50 and 100 respectively have been recommended in the detailed project report prepared by the Urban Mass Transit Company Limited (UMTC). The boats will operate every 10 or 20 minutes, linking the city with West Kochi and other islands. Tourism is also proposed to be promoted as part of the project. Sixteen out of 38 jetties will be developed in the first phase. Two boatyards have been proposed, one each at Thevara and Pizhala.
The metro board also decided to start the preparation for the revenue operations of Kochi Metro by mid-2016 and asked the operations team to prepare the list of things to be done. The board also formed a committee for selection of director (projects).
The board further reviewed the project progress and the schedule of progress for the next few months.
