The Hindu Business Line : Inkel plans to improve Kochi transport system

Of these, three proposals in particular are expected to overhaul the city’s public transport system and thereby reduce traffic congestion. The proposals include creation of a modern water transport system using the city’s network of canals, a scheme to introduce modern buses and a proposal to build an elevated highway. The investment required for these projects is estimated to be over Rs 1,400 crore.

PPP route

Confirming that the company has submitted these proposals to the State Government, an Inkel official said they are all envisaged as public-private partnership (PPP) projects. This is in keeping with the company’s mandate to develop infrastructure in Kerala through the PPP route.

Inkel itself is a public-private venture, with the State Government holding a 26 per cent stake in the company and the remaining 74 per cent being held by private investors and financial institutions.

One of Inkel’s proposals is to improve the public road transport facilities in Kochi through the urban transport system scheme under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. This scheme, which is open till mid-June this year, enables a PPP venture to acquire and operate a fleet of modern, air-conditioned buses in an urban area.

The Union Government will finance 50 per cent of the cost of purchasing the buses, with the private investor chipping in with rest, the official pointed out.

Inkel’s proposal is to introduce a fleet of 200 new buses in Kochi. The buses, operated by the private investor, will run on all important routes and help reduce the traffic on Kochi’s roads, he said.

Similarly, Inkel is keen to use the city’s canal network to create a water transport system to move both passengers and cargo quickly. The Rs 300-crore venture could also link Kochi with Alappuzha and Kottayam districts, especially with the inland container depot that is coming up in Kottayam.

The water transport system can also be used to transport passengers to and from the Kochi international airport, the company suggests in its proposal.

Another Kochi-centric proposal prepared by Inkel is to build an elevated highway — from Aroor to Edapally — above the existing Kochi bypass. The proposed elevated highway will cover a 17 km stretch and is expected to cost around Rs 960 crore to build.

It has also drawn up proposals to complete the sea port-airport road in Kochi and to create facilities for seaplanes and helicopters to operate in the city and also in other parts of the State.

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