In an effort to encourage the people of Kochi to take public transport, the Centre for Public Policy and Research (CPPR) will kickstart a year-long drive to create awareness on public transport from Friday. The campaign, which was set to take off earlier, was put on hold for a month in view of the aftermath of the devastating floods in the State.
Transport Commissioner K Padmakumar IPS will oversee that buses and metro routes are well-connected and more efficient for the developing city. As part of this, he will be taking different modes of public transport to get a firsthand experience of the public transport system and to better plan routes accordingly.
In April, the state government had announced that Fridays would be observed as Public Transport Day, in an effort to encourage people to use the public transport available to them. The campaign was launched on May 4.
As part of the campaign, officials in roles of power, including the District Collector, were approached and requested to take the metro city’s public transport to and from work for the day. Kochi Metro Rail Ltd. (KMRL) officials had previously stated that they planned to introduce a journey planner to allow the public to better plan their commute.
Furthermore, around 600 private buses had been installed with GPS systems and more were planned at the time to improve public transport systems.
The KMRL had also stated its intentions to design and launch an app-based ride service for auto rickshaws. Around 300 auto drivers will be attached to 16 metro stations.
Residents will meet officials at the Panchayat Hall in Cheranallur on Thursday to discuss their views on the proposed new routes
The initiative was the brainchild of the Centre for Public Policy and Research (CPPR), based in Kochi which works to improve aspects of public life. They work extensively with policy reforms in the urban development sector.