KOCHI: In its efforts to integrate the public transport system in the city, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) will tie up with Kochi Metropolitan Transport Cooperative Society Ltd (KMTC) to roll out GPS-based passenger information system and Smartcard (Kochi1) travel. The 160 private bus operators who are conducting services on the Aluva-Ernakulam route will join hands with KMRL to facilitate passengers’ travel by using their Smartcards.
“We will give training to conductors in connection with the launch of Smartcards in KMTC buses. Passengers can use their Smartcards (the same cards which they are using in the Metro train) to travel in KMTC buses,”
T J Raju, KMTC president, said on Tuesday.
He said the newly formed KMTC would be inaugurated by K V Thomas MP at a function that would be held at Nedumbilli auditorium in South Paravoor, Tripunithura on Saturday. The GPS-enabled passenger information system would also be launched at the function.
“Once the GPS system is installed, the passengers on KMTC buses will get the information on Metro trains, its timings and position through the display boards installed in the buses. The ticketing machines and technological assistance for GPS will be provided by AXIS Bank and Technovia Solutions,”
He said a bus owner would incur an additional expense of Rs 60,000 for installing the facilities.
“However, the formation of societies for supporting Kochi Metro’s feeder system has so far been a success in many aspects. The competitive running of buses has reduced considerably. Each feeder bus will have specific time slots,”
He said the revenue of buses plying along the Metro rail corridor has witnessed a revenue dip of nearly 25 per cent as some of the regular passengers have shifted to Metro Rail after its service extension to Maharaja’s Ground.
KMTC was formed by the members of the All-Kerala Bus Operators Forum.
“Similar societies were formed by other private bus operators. A centralised coordination committee of various societies which are conducting feeder services has been formed. These seven cities will coordinate with each other. A centralsied office for the co-ordination committee will be set up at Vyttila Mobility Hub,”
added K K Sasidharan, secretary of KMTC.
