Kochi Water Metro crosses 50 lakh passenger mark, milestone marked by Australian-Malayali

Kochi: Kochi Water Metro crossed the 50-lakh passenger mark on Saturday, with Naina, an Australian-Malayali, becoming the milestone passenger. She, along with her husband Amal, bought a ticket from High Court Terminal to Fort Kochi this afternoon. The Water Metro achieved the 50-lakh milestone in just 29 months since operations began.

Kochi Metro managing director Loknath Behera presented a memento to Naina to mark the historic achievement. Behera said it is rare for a small light transport project to attract such a large number of passengers in a short period. He credited the high-quality travel experience offered by the Water Metro for its success in drawing so many passengers despite the limited route.

The Water Metro began services on April 25, 2023, reaching 10 lakh passengers in the first 107 days. It then crossed 20 lakh in the next 95 days, 30 lakh in 185 days, 40 lakh in 160 days, and 50 lakh in the following 161 days.

Currently, services operate at terminals in High Court, Fort Kochi, Vypin, Bolgatty, Mulavukad South, Chittoor, Cheranalloor, Eloor, Vyttila, and Kakkanad with 20 boats. Construction of five additional terminals is in the final stage. Work is underway to make the Mattancherry and Willingdon Island terminals operational soon, while Kumbalam, Paliyamthuruth, and Kadamakkudy terminals are expected to be ready within a few months. The service currently runs 125 trips daily across five routes spanning about 24 km, from 7.30 am to 9 pm.

Inspired by the Kochi Water Metro, similar projects are being planned in 21 locations across India, and the project has drawn international interest. The World Bank has also expressed interest in collaborating with the Kochi Water Metro.

Officials present at the event included Chief General Manager (Water Transport) Shaji P Janardanan, Chief Operating Officer Sajan P John, General Manager (Designs) Ajith A, Joint General Manager (Finance) & Chief Financial Officer Ranjini R, Senior Deputy General Manager (Public Relations & Social Media) KK Jayakumar, and Deputy General Manager (Civil) Nishanth N.