To widen the reach of the metro and ensure more passengers, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has suggested the operation of feeder buses at three vital stations — Aluva, Pettah and South, as part of the ambitious project.
In the first phase, a total of 22 stations are being mooted starting from Aluva, all the way up to Pettah.
“We foresee many users from important junctions like Tripunithura and North Paravoor. It’s not feasible to extend the metro to Paravoor. Hence one option is to run feeder buses in the routes though the metro may be extended to Tripunithura at a later stage”, sources said.
The proposal, to be considered at the first director board meeting of the reconstituted KMRL (Kochi Metro Rail Ltd) scheduled for Tuesday, also includes the operation of a circular feeder bus to connect the vital Menaka Junction in the city.
“The feasibility study has found there is no point in extending the metro rail to Menaka as there won’t be the same traffic density as on MG Road. But we can’t ignore it as there is scope for floating commuters in the form of tourists, to locations like Marine Drive. Hence we are also seeking the operation of a circular feeder bus service connecting Menaka with the South station and Maharaja’s College” they said.
Another benefit that the DMRC sees in feeder buses is that it will result in fewer vehicles at the metro parking area as more people will use the mini-buses. However, the mini-buses, which can seat around 20 people and provide ample space to stand, won’t be operated by the KMRL directly.
“They would be outsourced or we may enter into a tie up with a third party. If the KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation) can deploy suitable buses, we’re happy to engage them”, the officials said.