With Traffic on Land, Kochi Water Metro to Run Beyond Usual Timings: Check Routes and Schedule

Kochi: The Kochi Water Metro has expanded the timings of the last trip at the Fort Kochi-High Court Junction corridor and back. According to the revised schedule, the last ferries will leave at s pm from October 18, announced the Kochi Water Metro Limited. The new arrangements have been made as commuters have to face acute congestion on the route leading to West Kochi from the city and back. Due to the month-long traffic ban on the Kundannoor bridge, alternative routes to West Kochi choked due to disrupted vehicle flow. To mitigate the congestion on the roads, the ferries will be operated late to facilitate more and more commuters. This will help computers to avoid long rides through other transport modes, and cut the travel time as well as hassle due to long traffic jams.Kochi Water Metro has become a popular public transport in the city since its launch. Within a year of its commencement, the water metro registered a ridership of over two million. Now it runs on six crucial routes, with an average daily ridership of around 3,000 people.

The metro connects key locations in the city, including High Court Junction-Vypeen, High Court Junction-South Chittoor via Bolgatty, High Court Junction-Fort Kochi, Vyttila-Kakkanad and South Chittoor-Cheranellore via Eloor. Since the Onam is approaching, authorities are planning to increase the number of ferries to facilitate maximum commuters during the festival season. It is also considering boosting services on the High Court-Fort Kochi and High Court-Vypeen routes with the introduction of more electric-hybrid boats.