Ever since the recent steep hike in bus, auto and taxi fares, many long-suffering commuters in the city are wondering why one of the cheapest modes of transport isn’t put to better use, namely, the city’s waterways.
Despite having three national waterways and several navigable canals, the city is yet to tap the possibilities inherent in the water transport sector.
Though the city corporation has conducted several studies on the feasibility of water transport, not a single recommendation has been implemented. Meanwhile, islanders in and around the city have been asking for more boats and better facilities for several years.
If the national waterways alone can be used well, the benefits will be tremendous. The Kottappuram-Kollam National Waterway has a 30 km-long stretch in Kochi. Udyogmandal canal, which has a length of 23 km within the city and Champakkara canal with a span of 24 km, can also be part of the waterways in the city.
“All three are well marked with buoys and maintained by the National Waterways Authority of India. So it won’t really be difficult to use these waterways,” said K.J Sohan, town planning committee chairman. The latter had penned a report on ‘an affordable and viable urban transport system for the people of Kochi’.
Even in existing routes like Vypin-Fort Kochi, Fort Kochi-Ernakulam, where more people rely on boat services, shortage of vessels is the major hurdle.
At present 12 of the 16 local bodies which are part of the urban set-up have a licenced water transport system.
If the extent and quality of water transport is increased, the roads in the city and suburbs would be considerably decongested, Sohan added.
National and international agencies like Cities’ Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA), INKEL, National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) have conducted feasibility studies on developing the water transport network in Kochi.