Modern buses to test waters before metro takes plunge on new routes

State govt. not in a position to set apart funds for the ₹1,957-crore Kakkanad extension and subsequent projects

With the Metro Rail Policy-2017 according primacy to expected passenger patronage on different routes before sanctioning metro projects / extensions, the State government is considering a proposal to introduce a fleet of modern buses under Kochi metro phase two and three extensions to test the waters before the metro takes the plunge, it is learnt. The second phase extension proposed to Kakkanad is awaiting the Union Cabinet’s sanction, and Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has cited this as the reason for not revealing the expected passenger patronage mentioned in the detailed project report (DPR) for the 11.20-km extension. The Aluva-international airport third phase extension is to follow suit. “This testing of the waters is crucial before a decision is taken to take the plunge for metro rail, a mass rapid transport system (MRTS) that is highly capital-intensive. The conventional metro rail costs around ₹250 crore per km and needs further investment for last-mile connectivity, which is yet to happen in Kochi even four years after the metro was commissioned. The State government, which will have to provide substantial funding and repay the loan from French development assistance agency AFD is currently not in a position to set apart funds for the ₹1,957-crore Kakkanad extension and subsequent extensions,” official sources said.