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September 24, 2024From Connectivity to Chaos: The Reality of Kochi’s Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) Corridors
The non-motorised transport (NMT) corridors in Kochi fail to meet actual transportation needs, with obstacles making navigation challenging.
Key Takeaways
- Abrupt 12-inch breaks in the path, frequent electrical poles, parked vehicles, and advertisement boards disrupt the non-motorised transport (NMT) corridors in Kochi, against Indian Road Congress (IRC) guidelines.
- Despite an investment of Rs. 116 crore, the infrastructure neglects diverse modes of transport under the NMT category, like cycling, street vendor carts, cycle rickshaws, and tricycles for the disabled.
- The Kochi Metropolitan Transport Authority (KMTA) should be revamped to take responsibility for ensuring proper implementation and maintenance.
- NMT infrastructure in Kochi must be designed to withstand monsoon conditions.
For whom are we building non-motorised transport (NMT) corridors?
Observing the recently constructed NMT corridors in Kochi, one might conclude they were designed more for fitness enthusiasts than for actual transportation needs. These corridors present challenges akin to a workout routine:
– box jumps caused by abrupt 12-inch breaks in the path,
– tuck jumps required to navigate waterlogged sections after rain, and
– zig-zag running around the frequent electrical poles and advertisement boards.
Is Kochi’s infrastructure deliberately making its citizens healthier by forcing them into these unintended exercises?
The intent behind these corridors was to establish last-mile connectivity for metro users as part of a broader initiative to promote non-motorised traffic. However, despite an investment of ₹116 crore1, the infrastructure appears to serve only as pedestrian pathways, neglecting the diverse modes of transport that fall under the NMT category.
According to the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)2, NMT includes “modes of transport that are powered by human power rather than other forms of energy like fossil fuels,” such as walking, cycling, street vendor carts, cycle rickshaws, tricycles for the disabled, and even occasional festive vehicles. Yet, the current NMT corridors in Kochi are largely inaccessible to these modes, undermining their very purpose.
The Indian Road Congress (IRC:103-20123) provides clear guidelines for pedestrian pathways, emphasising that they should be continuous, have an even surface to facilitate seamless movement and be free from obstructions and encroachments. Additionally, they must be segregated from the road to prevent direct contact with vehicles.
Unfortunately, the ground reality in Kochi is starkly different.
For instance, in the NMT corridor from Elamkulam Metro Station to Kadavanthra Metro Station, pathways are interrupted frequently, forcing pedestrians to step down onto the road, posing a hazard. The paths are uneven, with frequent ups and downs that make them challenging for the elderly and disabled.
Illegal parking on footpaths is common in NMT corridors developed in Aluva, which complicates their use, and there are allegations of inadequate enforcement against such encroachments. As the Managing Director of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) points out4, residents and shop owners have encroached on the footpaths with construction, advertisement boards, and other obstacles, defeating the very purpose of these pathways. Additionally, two-wheeler riders often drive on the footpaths—a common sight in the Edapally area—endangering pedestrians.
The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, advocates5 for universally accessible infrastructure in the transport sector. However, Kochi’s pathways lack essential features such as ramps for wheelchair users and unobstructed guide blocks for the visually impaired. Poles and other obstacles obstruct the guide blocks (in and around the Kadavanthra junction), and the absence of warning blocks (following the site conditions) renders the facility useless for the visually impaired.
Additionally, there are no resting places or seats for elderly and physically challenged pedestrians. Despite the significant investment, the infrastructure fails to serve its intended purpose.
In a state like Kerala, where personalised vehicle ownership is high (nearly one in four families owns a car6), road accidents are a daily occurrence7. The Motor Vehicles (Driving) Regulations, 20178, stipulate that in the event of an accident, the involved vehicles should be moved off to the side of the road as soon as possible.
In practice, this protocol leads to these vehicles being dumped onto the NMT corridors, obstructing pedestrian movement and forcing them onto the road, risking their safety. Traffic officials must recognise that the law requires vehicles to be moved to the side of the road, not into the NMT corridors.
What about maintenance of the NMT Corridors?
To fulfil their intended purpose, Kochi’s NMT corridors should be accessible to all modes of non-motorised transport and all types of pedestrians. When the government makes such a substantial investment, it must ensure proper installation and maintenance. While Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has played a crucial role in developing these corridors, it lacks the institutional capacity to ensure their quality or to maintain the infrastructure effectively.
This highlights the need for the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) to take charge. Kochi should revamp the Kochi Metropolitan Transport Authority (KMTA) to deliver these projects effectively and to work with enforcement agencies (like traffic police and municipal authorities) to ensure NMT policies are properly implemented, leveraging its institutional capacity to meet the city’s transport needs.
Moreover, in a state like Kerala, where the monsoon lasts for nearly half the year, NMT corridors and pedestrian pathways should be designed with a minimum width of 1.8 meters, as specified in the IRC:103-20129. They should also be free of obstructions to ensure the corridors are “umbrella-friendly.”
Only by addressing these issues can Kochi’s NMT infrastructure truly serve its purpose, providing safe, accessible, and efficient transportation options for all.
References
- https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/kochi-metros-nmt-work-worth-116-crore-under-way/article67308289.ece ↩︎
- https://niua.in/c-cube/sites/all/themes/zap/assets/pdf/MOBILITY%20&%20AIR%20QTY/MAQ3%20-%20NMT.pdf ↩︎
- https://law.resource.org/pub/in/bis/irc/irc.gov.in.103.2012.pdf ↩︎
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/kmrls-116cr-project-lags-as-govt-depts-fail-to-support/articleshow/110241838.cms ↩︎
- https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1191740/ ↩︎
- https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2022/May/21/one-in-four-families-owns-a-car-in-kerala-2456027.html ↩︎
- https://www.ecostat.kerala.gov.in/storage/documents/79.pdf ↩︎
- https://morth.nic.in/sites/default/files/Motor-Vehicle-Driving-Regulation-2017.pdf ↩︎
- https://law.resource.org/pub/in/bis/irc/irc.gov.in.103.2012.pdf ↩︎
Nikhil Ali is a Research Associate at Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR)
Views expressed by the author are personal and need not reflect or represent the views of the Centre for Public Policy Research.
Nikhil Ali is an Associate, Research at the Centre for Public Policy Research. He completed his graduation in Civil Engineering from Sree Narayana College of Engineering and is a seasoned Civil Engineer with working experience at Tata Realty and Infrastructure Ltd. With a passion for urban planning, he acquired his master's degree in Urban Planning from Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai. His expertise lies in Urban Mobility, land use planning/analysis, and water-sensitive planning.
