(EPT): The first of the 23 Water Metro’s boats slated to operate through the water bodies in the Greater Kochi area will be delivered by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) to the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) on Friday.
The ferry can accommodate 100 passengers at a time, which has been repeatedly overshooting and overshooting from time to time. Will happen after overshooting. 10 months after the inauguration of the Vyttila-Kakkanad route of the Water Metro.
The 50 seater battery powered electric boats, each costing over ₹7.30 crore, five boats that are under construction will be handed over to the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) in a few months, a release issued by the metro agency.
It is the first time in the world a centrally-controlled integrated water transport system with a large fleet is powered by battery. Water Metro boats use LTO batteries, which is the latest in battery technology and the safest battery industrially available with a capability for fast charging.
The battery can be charged in 10 to 15 minutes. Superchargers will be installed in floating-pontoon jetties at select locations. The boat comes with a generator backup, which will automatically take over its operation in case of any failure of the battery system.
The aluminum hull of the catamaran boats have high degree of safety and stability. Together with the use of floating jetties, it makes the ferries disabled and elderly friendly as well. The hull is designed for 10-knots speed (18 kmph), which are considerably faster than conventional ferries in operation in Kerala. This makes the ferries consume very less energy.
The Kochi Water Metro will be a climate-friendly integrated water transport initiative to improve waterway connectivity, with a total of 78 ghats connecting 38 terminals located over 76 route kilometres. The construction of boat ghats is also in progress. The Vyttila and Kakkanad terminals are almost ready and the dredging work has been completed, while the installation of the floating pontoon is in the final stages. Vyapin, High Court, Eloor, Cheranallur and Chittoor jetties will be ready by April 2022.
The fully air-conditioned boats with wide windows provide a comfortable journey for travelers and tourists, as well as a splendid view of the back water and banks. The interior is designed to a large extent like the Kochi Metro. The ghats are designed in such a way that even at high speed, very few waves can be created on the narrow channels and provide a silent mode of transport to the passengers. An automated boat location system will continuously monitor their position from the operating control center at the Voytila Mobility Hub. The CCTV system will monitor them remotely for better safety and security.