Kochi's Updated Comprehensive Mobility Plan Set For Completion In Three Months

The Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is set to finalise an updated comprehensive mobility plan (CMP), outlining a long-term vision for desirable mobility patterns in Kochi, within three months before submitting it to the state and Union governments for consideration.

The CMP aims to address the city's futuristic development needs, ensuring that Kochi evolves into a high-growth potential city.

The CMP, initially prepared in 2017, is being updated by the Urban Mass Transit Company (UMTC) based on the Centre’s guidelines, which recommend revisions every five years.

“The CMP is crucial for the future development needs of Kochi, accounting for the next 30 years. Projects worth Rs 20,000 crore, including short-term, medium-term, and long-term measures, are being proposed. A vital short-term measure is extending the metro to the airport and then to GIFT City in Angamaly,” said Minister P Rajeeve, reports The Hindu.

The CMP aims to develop and integrate road, railway, ferry, and metro rail systems, addressing the needs of the ever-expanding Greater Kochi area, which includes the Kochi Corporation, nine municipalities, and 19 panchayats with limited road capacity.

The agency has initiated a community-wide feedback collection process for the draft CMP, engaging representatives from various sectors including political executives, government bodies, city development organisations, the business community, and the public.

Draft CMP

The draft advocates for the establishment of multi-modal mobility hubs at Aluva (bus+metro), Angamaly (metro+bus), CIAL (metro+air+bus), High Court (water+bus+metro), Tripunithura (metro+rail+bus), and Smart City (metro+bus+water), in addition to the existing Vyttila Mobility Hub (metro+water+bus).

An analysis conducted as part of the CMP preparation highlights the urgent need for city bus route rationalisation. The study revealed that 22 per cent of the bus routes have over 60 per cent average route overlap with the proposed trunk routes or MRTS corridors. As a result, it recommends rationalising 31 routes, including 13 KSRTC and 18 private bus routes.

“Mass Rapid Transit Systems designed to move large numbers of people on special guideways will lower travel time and mitigate congestion. Currently, about 28.12 km of the existing MRTS network is operational in the city, with an additional 11.3 km of Phase 2 metro network under construction,” the draft CMP states.

The study also suggests that Kochi should decongest its core areas and develop sub-city centres across different parts of the city. These growth centres should be connected through efficient public transportation systems, with 114.6 km of corridors developed under the principles of transit oriented development and 103.5 km of network as growth corridors to link identified growth centres for faster multi-nodal development.