KMRL mulling roll-out of 10 e-buses by March in metro’s feeder routes

Effort to streamline long-awaited inter-modal integration

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.