Corporation plan comes a cropper

KOCHI: The ‘snail’s pace’ policy of the Kochi Corporation seems to be affecting the water transportation sector as well. Three months ago, the Kochi Corporation decided to entrust the KITCO with the responsibility of preparing a detailed project report on water transportation in the city. Unfortunately, the plans continue to be on paper. Town Planning Committee chairman K J Sohan said: “We are still awaiting sanction for the project to be handed over to the KITCO.”Also, the corporation had announced that it would start a water transportation company to solve the woes of water transport in Kochi. Earlier, the Cities Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA) conducted a feasibility study on the waterways in Kochi and mooted the setting up of a company to manage the water transport sector. Accordingly, the corporation included the proposal to launch a company similar to CIAL in its 2011 annual budget.“A water transportation company is the key to solving the problems of water transportation in a city that has the potential to develop as the hub of water transport. This decision by the corporation is crucial for the development of our boats and jetties. Currently, the state of our jetties under the Kerala Water Transport Authority is pathetic,” Sohan said.According to the feasibility study, improving water transport in Kochi will help in avoiding dense traffic situations in the city. “Once, a water transportation company is set up, the perennial problem of traffic blocks can be resolved,” K J Sohan said. Blaming the corporation’s never ending excuses on developmental issues, Island South Councillor N Venugopal said, “How can you expect the corporation authorities who gave away the maintenance of water boats from different boat jetties on contract basis to take up the responsibility of setting up a water transportation company? Since, they could not keep the promise of setting up a special purpose vehicle to start Volvo services in the city, it would not be surprising if they have not moved a paper on this yet.”