Today is a significant day in India’s history as the country will experience its first Water Metro in Kerala. The inauguration of the metro will be done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Expressing his views on the project, he shared a tweet.
A significant enhancement to Kochi's infrastructure! The Kochi Water Metro would be dedicated to the nation. It will ensure seamless connectivity for Kochi. pic.twitter.com/SAvvEz8SFt
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 23, 2023
Also, as per the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, the Kochi Water Metro is expected to boost tourism in Kerela which will eventually bring significant changes in the transportation industry of the State. Calling it a dream project, he expressed his excitement through a tweet.
The world-class #KochiWaterMetro is setting sail! It is Kerala's dream project connecting 10 islands in and around Kochi. KWM with 78 electric boats & 38 terminals cost 1,136.83 crores, funded by GoK & KfW. Exciting times are ahead for our transport and tourism sectors! pic.twitter.com/XTvUyqw59D
— CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) April 22, 2023
Let's start this article by knowing about the features and routes of the Kochi water metro.
India's First Water Metro in Kochi: Features and Route
Kochi will become the first Indian city to host a water metro, popularly known as 'Metro Lite'. This metro will offer the same comfort, safety, convenience, and environmental friendliness as that of the conventional metro system. However, the price will be 40 percent of a conventional metro system. As per the officials, it has also been planned in other cities Srinagar, Nashik, and Gorakhpur.
Since water transportation is more efficient than road or rail, the initiative of ‘Metro Lite’ focuses on reducing pollution and traffic congestion in the city. The project will begin with eight electric hybrid boats developed under Cochin Shipyard Limited. It connects 10 islands in and around the city port. The tickets for the boat trips will start from Rs 20. People planning to travel frequently can also avail of the weekly and monthly passes.
One of the best features of the water metro is its environmental friendliness and accessibility to disabled individuals. According to the CM of Kerala, passengers can reach High Court Terminal to Vypin Terminal in less than 20 minutes without any traffic restrictions.
Traffic restrictions in Kochi
Tomorrow marks the inauguration of the Kochi Water Metro project by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Therefore, as per the orders from higher authorities, vehicles will not be allowed to enter the West Kochi Island area from Thevara between 8 am to 10:30 am.
Also, they will not be allowed to enter Thevara from the West Kochi area. On the other hand, vehicles coming from Alappuzha, Idukki, and Kottayam should drop their passengers at Thevara Ferry Junction park at the Motor Vehicle Department’s Driving Test Ground on Thevara Ferry Boat Easter Road.
Conclusion
Therefore, the Kochi Metro Project is expected to bring significant changes to the transportation industry of Kerala. Since Kochi is about to become the first Indian city to host the water metro that is designed keeping in mind the comfort, convenience, and safety of the passengers, the project is expected to attract large-scale tourism in the country.
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