The draft of the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for the Greater Kochi area that was readied by Urban Mass Transit Company (UMTC) for Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) fell short on many counts and must hence be thoroughly revised before being finalised, traffic planners and other stakeholders said in Kochi on August 20 (Tuesday).
Speaking at a presentation by the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) on key highlights of the draft CMP that was released a month ago, most speakers sought third-party vetting of the proposals by an independent agency. They further demanded that the State government allot adequate manpower to the Kochi Metropolitan Transport Authority (KMTA), which has no staff at present, and to vest it with the implementation of the CMP. The meeting also decided to seek an extension of the time period to respond to the draft CMP.
Former KMTA executive officer G.P. Hari said the draft CMP was focused more on capital-intensive projects like the Kochi metro that have limited reach. “Rather, what is needed is a comprehensive and equity-based plan that gives what is due to each mode of public transport. In this situation, the plan needs vetting by a third party.” On efficient modes of public transport in cities such as London and Singapore, he said it was made possible after they readied transportation master plans.
Maintaining that data pertaining to public-transport, feeder buses and many other aspects mentioned in the draft CMP was erroneous, former senior Deputy Transport Commissioner B.J. Antony hoped that KMRL would make the necessary corrections before it was finalised. “Likewise, the commuting issues that people living in islands around Kochi face must be taken note of. In addition, the bus route rationalisation study done by Systra Consortium, a French transport planning agency, must be relied on in order to make the CMP a truly comprehensive one,” he said.
Former Mayor K.J. Sohan wondered how KMRL, which did not have expertise in traffic planning, was vested with the task of readying the CMP, especially since it was one of the key public transport stakeholders in the region. The views of transport planners must be sought before finalising the CMP, he said.
Expressing concern about the government doing little to decongest Edappally, K.B. Suneer, district secretary of Private Bus Operators’ Association, called for measures to develop the long-pending Chakkaraparambu-Kakkanad four-lane road in order to decongest areas located east of the national highway bypass. The CMP must recommend steps to decongest such bottlenecked junctions that abound in Kochi and to improve the condition of bus stands, he said, referring to the deplorable condition of the KSRTC bus stand and the Vyttila Mobility Hub.
“The draft CMP is incomplete on many fronts and has also failed to take note of many ground realities in Kochi’s transportation sector. KMRL must acknowledge the role that autorickshaws play as feeder services from metro stations,” said Binu Varghese of Ernakulam Jilla Auto Drivers Cooperative Society (EJADCS).
P. Rangadasa Prabhu, president, Ernakulam District Residents Association Apex Council (EDRAAC), said the CMP could not be implemented unless the KMTA was vested with the task. “The draft CMP is focused more on costly metro extensions rather than on other modes of public transport and simple measures that would help decongest Kochi and its suburbs. The expertise of traffic and town planners must be sought before finalising the plan,” he added.
CPPR chairman D. Dhanuraj said the Greater Kochi region required a comprehensive mobility policy and not a comprehensive mobility plan. “The focus must be on strengthening the KMTA, which must in turn take a call on mobility plans from time to time. The proposed CMP is an example of centralised planning which is a failed concept in India. This is because urban centres are organic, and the demands for public transport are not exactly predictable in the long term,” he said.
