Two months after the launch of Kochi Water Metro services, the total ridership touched close to five lakh (4,87,378) on Thursday. The ridership on Thursday alone was 8,482. As the daily ridership figures on weekends would be higher than the normal days, the number is likely to touch five lakh within two days.
In the initial days, the Water Metro had recorded heavy rush of passengers and the daily ridership had crossed 11,000. The total ridership of Water Metro had crossed two lakh within two weeks of the launch of service on two routes in the city.
But the ridership came down to around 3,000 after the reopening of schools. Currently, the Water Metro is operating services on Vyttila-Kakkanad and High Court-Vypeen routes. A total of nine boats are being used for these services. As Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) is expected to deliver more boats to Kerala Water Metro Ltd (KWML) in the coming weeks, Water Metro terminals in four more locations in the city would be commissioned.
KWML authorities said that they would launch a special campaign to attract more passengers as the number of regular passengers is yet to be increased.
The authorities are also planning to increase the frequency of service on the Vyttila-Kakkanad route.
Works of twenty more Water Metro terminals would start in the city soon. KWML has already approached the funding agency of the Water Metro project for the permission to issue tenders for the work of 16 Water Metro terminals. The application for the approval for the four more terminals would be submitted to the funding agency.
The locations where the new terminals are going to come up include Chennur, Kothad, Thundathumkadavu, Thanthonni Thuruth, Edakochi, Moolampilly, Thoppumpady, Elamkunnappuzha, Eroor, Pizhala, Mattancherry, Mulavukad panchayat, Varapuzha, Nettoor, Thykoodam, etc.
