Kochi: The Vytilla Mobility Hub, built on international standards, is giving commuters a hard time with the authorities refusing to spend on maintenance in the hope that the second phase infrastructure works would start soon.
However, despite the conceptual plan being ready and the French funding agency AFD agreeing to extend a loan to the Rs 430-crore project, the state government has put the same on the backburner, and no action was taken for the last over three months.
“The soil beneath the interlock tiles sunk all-throughout, making the surface uneven. The commuters are forced to a bumpy ride. However, we have to invest another Rs 40 lakh for maintenance works including levelling of underground soil. If the second phase is approved, then the money will go waste as it involves realignment of existing infrastructure,” said a senior official.
The bus owners have lodged complaints with the Vytilla Mobility Hub Society (VMHS) authorities citing that the interlock tiles have either come off or sank at many points, resulting in additional wear and tear expenses.
“For the time being, we’ll undertake urgent works, and have sanctioned a sum of Rs 4 lakh for the same,” he said.
The last meeting concerning the project was on May 4 when the concept plan submitted by the Kochi Metro Rail Limited was approved with certain suggestions to be incorporated. However, after that, no action was taken.
The district collector had even written a letter to the concerned department to convene a governing body meeting at the earliest to decide on key factors like finalising funding agency whether to get financial aid from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) or to avail loan from AFD.
The target was to complete the second phase work before the Kochi Metro starts operation in the section.
As per the DMRC plan, the metro operation on the Aluva-Thykoodam section will start by March 2019.
