Kochi Water Metro project awaits launch

KOCHI: World class boats and terminals similar to metro railway station. That is the Kochi Water Metro. The water metro terminal looks like an airport terminal. In case of jetty, it is one of a kind in India. Boats are hybrids that runs on both battery and diesel generator. It also includes other facilities. The total cost is around Rs 8 crore.

It has been months since the Water Metro is ready for inauguration. The delay is due to the anticipation of the Prime Minister. Boats, five terminals and staff are ready after trials. The inauguration is on the Ernakulam-Vypin route. The second phase is through Vytilla- Kakkanad route.

Ticket with QR code or Kochi One Card should be used. Metro and Watermetro tickets can be purchased together. If there are 100 people then the entry point to the boat will not be opened. 110 life jackets including for babies are available.

Kochi Shipyard built India's first aluminum passenger boats. The names of the boats are Ezhimala, Vizhinjam, Bekal, Beypore and Muziris. It needs to be charged every hour for 10-15 minutes. India's best supercharging stations will be located at ten terminals. If the route changes a little, then the control room in Vytilya will know. The boats have systems like thermal camera and echo sounder.

Rs 743 crore project was to be completed in December 2019. It was delayed due to Covid. It has 15 routes spanning 76 km and 38 terminals. Five have been completed and four are in the final stage.

Features of the boat

• Seats: 50

• Passengers: 100

• Employees: 3

Cost of a boat: Rs 7.6 crores

Total boats: 78