Public transport needs to be affordable, accessible: CM

Public transport has to be sustainable, accessible, equitable and affordable and the Kerala government was working towards that purpose, State Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday.

Addressing a gathering during the inauguration of the '15th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Expo', Vijayan said the Kochi Water Metro is a unique project and the government was conducting a study in this regard in the districts of Kollam and Alappuzha.

Batting for sustainability in the urban mobility solutions, Vijayan said the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation was inducting electric buses into its fleet and looks forward to replace more internal combustion engine buses in the coming months.

''I believe Kerala is the right place to host this conference as we are the second most-urbanised State with 47.7 per cent of our population living in urban areas. Even though we are second in urbanisation, the difference between urban and rural is narrow here,'' he said.

The Chief Minister said the level of urbanisation being witnessed in the country warrants urban planning and urban mobility planning. ''As far as Kerala is concerned, we are committed to prepare a complete masterplan for all our cities by 2026. It will be a sustainable and resilient city developmental plan and we intend to do it in consultation with the best urban planners and experts available in the country,'' he said.

Vijayan said the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has pioneered the concept of electricity pole charging and was in the process of setting up 1,500 chargers for electric autorickshaws and two-wheelers.

''We believe that public transport has to be sustainable, accessible, equitable and affordable. We are working towards ensuring the same. This conference is certainly a great opportunity for us to understand the best practices and latest technologies available across the globe which would help us in achieving our goals. Kerala is keen to learn from all of you who have gathered here,'' he said.

Vijayan said the Kochi Water Metro is a unique project which can be introduced in other parts of the country. He added that it was suited to Kerala considering the abundance of water bodies. ''Therefore, we are conducting studies in Kollam and Alappuzha,'' he said. Vijayan thanked the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for conducting the conference in Kochi and expressed gratitude to the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)