Mobility hub to decongest city

KOCHI: Travelling in the city is a Herculean task due to congested roads and traffic jams.

The large number of long-distance (mofussil) buses contributes to the present chaos.

The number of vehicles in Ernakulam District has increased from 91,411 in 1989-1990 to 9,38,124 in 2007-08, showing an average annual growth rate of 13 percent.

The Comprehensive Study for Transport System for Greater Kochi Area by Rites Ltd, 2001, NATPAC Traffic Report, 2006, and City Development Plan by Kochi Corporation, 2007, have pointed towards the shifting and integrating of KSRTC bus stand and the Kaloor Private Bus Terminal and converting it to a mobility hub at a strategic location near NH 47.

With the support of these studies, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Kerala and the Centre for Public Policy Research along with the Kumar Group, are coming up with a new plan to set up a mobility hub in Vyttila.

“Our vision for the proposed site is more than just a bus terminal, rather a mobility hub for Kochi, which is futuristic and technology driven and is able to cater to the ever-growing traffic and transport demands of the city and thus get transformed into the Gateway of Kerala,” CII authorities said in their annual regional meet recently. CII southern region chairman C R Swaminathan said that a mobility hub is a place of connectivity, where different modes of transit come together seamlessly.

CII in its proposed report says that there is a need for a central bus terminus to ensure a better functioning of the public transport system.

According to the report, the site for the mobility hub in Vyttila is well-connected with all routes. It serves as a meeting point for all intercity and intra-city roads. The site is connected to the city through the Sahodaran Ayyapan Road. It is connected to Edappally and Kakkanad providing hassle free transition in various directions. Passengers can easily get down at the bus terminal at the hub and use the Mass Transit System like the inter-city bus, auto, taxi or metro train to enter the city. “A mobility hub requires a vast area of land, which only the proposed site fulfils. The site offers a sprawling 25 acres of land to develop 71 bus bays and 150 ideal bus parking spots for long and short distance buses. While accommodating 900 cars and 120 autorickshaws in its parking lots, it has the potential to host a worldclass mega shopping mall, food courts, cultural centre and health club, a hotel, a 50m swimming pool, and a boat jetty in a total buildup area of 13,70,000 sq ft,” the report says. The report stresses the need for the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for the successful implementation of the project.

In the proposed site near Vyttila Junction, eight hectares belong to the Agriculture Ministry, Government of Kerala, while 17 hectares belong to KeraFed. The entrance and exit points of the site are connected to National Highway 47, Eroor (via Kaniyampuzha Road connecting Vyttila and Eroor) and Tripunithura (via Vyttila Tripunithura Road).

Like any other city, Kochi experiences urban problems such as traffic-choked streets to grime and pollution, making life in the city often less than desirable. The Vyttila mobility hub has been envisioned as a long-term transport solution for the city. But everything depends on the approval from the State Government.

kochi@epmltd.com