Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) recently bagged the tender for constructing boats for the prestigious Water Metro project in Kochi. Under the Rs 747Cr Water Metro project, a total of 78 fast, fuel-efficient, air-conditioned boats will ply on 15 routes covering 76km through Kochi backwaters. There will be 38 jetties, 18 of which will be developed as main boat hubs, while the remaining 20 will be minor jetties for transit services.
The boats will be equipped with latest safety and communication devices. As part of the infrastructure, intelligent navigation system and operation control centre (OCC) are also proposed and will be integrated with the city’s intelligent transportation system. The automatic fare collection system being implemented by the Kochi Metro will be extended to water transport system which facilitates travelling in the Metro and the boat using the same ticket.
