Vyttila Mobility Hub is an integrated transit terminal in the city of

Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

. It is designed as a converging point of various forms of public transportation, such as local and long-distance buses, metro rail and inland water transport. It is planned over an area of in

Vyttila Vyttila, , is an Intersection (road), intersection as well as the name of a :Regions of Kochi, region in the Kochi, city of Kochi, in the Kerala, state of Kerala, India. It is the busiest as well as one of the largest intersections in Kerala. ...

, making it one of the largest bus termini in India. The foundation stone for Mobility Hub in Vytilla was laid by the

Chief Minister of Kerala The chief minister of Kerala is the chief executive of the Indian state of Kerala. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. Fol ...

V. S. Achuthanandan on 7 June 2010. Construction of the first phase, consisting of the terminal for long-distance buses and the basic amenities, started in December 2010; the first phase was opened on 26 February 2011. When fully implemented, it will have facilities to integrate all modes of public transportation, as well as for shopping, entertainment and hospitality.

History

A fast-growing city like Kochi requires a comprehensive plan to meet the demands and requirements in Traffic and Transport. Travelling in the city is a Herculean task due to congested roads and traffic jams. The large number of long-distance (mofussil) buses contributes to the present chaos. The number of vehicles in

Ernakulam District Ernakulam, ; ISO: ''Eṟaṇākuḷaṁ'', in Malayalam: എറണാകുളം), is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, that takes its name from the eponymous city division in Kochi. It is situated in the central part ...

has increased an average annual growth rate of 13 percent. The Comprehensive Study for Transport System for Greater Kochi Area by Rites Ltd, 2001, NATPAC Traffic Report, 2006, and City Development Plan by Kochi Corporation, 2007, had pointed towards the shifting and integrating of main mofussil bus stands in the city and converting it to a mobility hub at a strategic location near

Kochi Bypass The Kochi Bypass is a segment of NH66(National Highway 66) that bypasses the CBD of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. The highway stretches 17 km from Edapally in the Ernakulam district to Aroor in Alappuzha district , via. Palarivattom ...

. With the support of these studies, the Confederation of Indian Industry(CII)-Kerala and the

Centre for Public Policy Research Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) is an independent non-profit research organization located in Kochi, India. It was established in the year 2004. It conducts professional research, integrating developments in the areas of education, li ...

are coming up with a new plan to set up a mobility hub in

and will transform it into the Gateway of Kerala. The hub project aims to reduce traffic congestion due to the expected increase in traffic flow at Kochi in the coming years with the commissioning of the International Container Transshipment Terminal and other allied projects connected with it.

Service

The site for th
mobility hub in Vyttila
is well-connected with all routes. It serves as a meeting point for all intercity and intra-city roads. The site is connected to

Edappally Edappally or Idappalli is a region in the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is a major commercial centre as well as a prominent residential region. Edappally junction is one of the busiest junctions in the city. History Edappally in Englis ...

, Kundannoor, Palarivattom,

Vytilla Vyttila, , is an intersection as well as the name of a region in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is the busiest as well as one of the largest intersections in Kerala. This node intersects the main north–south artery of ...

junction through

and exit road links with Ettumanoor road connecting it with

Tripunithura Thrippunithura or Tripunithura (), is a prominent historical and residential region in the City of Kochi in Kerala, India. Located about 7 km (4 mi) from the city centre, Tripunithura was the capital of the erstwhile Kingdom of Cochin ...

Pettah Pettah may refer to: * Pettah of Ahmednagar, a fortified town outside the Fort of Ahmednagar stormed by British soldiers in 1803 during Second Anglo-Maratha War * Pettah, Colombo, a neighborhood in Colombo, Sri Lanka located east of the City centr ...

, Ambalamugal etc., providing free transition in various directions of the city. It is connected to

Kochi Metro The Kochi Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It was opened to the public within four years of starting construction, making it one of the fastest completed metro projects in India. The Kochi metro proje ...

and Kochi Water Metro.

Kochi Metro

Vyttila Mobility Hub is connected to Vyttila Metro Station of

Line 1(Aluva to Thykoodam). It is a 160 metres walk to the metro station by Vyttila Mobility Hub Road. Train Towards Thykoodam 1st train-6:41 a.m. Last train-10:39 p.m. Train Towards Aluva 1st train-6:02 a.m. Last train-10:01 p.m.

Kochi Water Metro

Vyttila Mobility Hub is connected to Kochi Water Metro.Ferry terminal is on the east side of the mobility hub. It is located by Kaniyampuzha river. It is a 76 metres walk to the ferry terminal by Vyttila Boat Jetty Walkway. Kochi Metro Rail Limited has also launched boat services between Vyttila and Kakkanad as "City Water Bus" recently. The service is expected to be extended to more areas like Thevara soon.

Future

The project is estimated to cost around 121 crore and will be implemented in two phases. The project will have facilities for parking 175 buses, 2,000 to 6,000 cars, and 2,000 to 10,000 two-wheelers. Three boat jettys and green zone would also be set up on the eastern side of the hub. An air-conditioned tube too has been planned, to connect the terminal to the western side of Vytilla junction. Passengers can easily get down at the bus terminal at the hub and use the Mass Transit System like the inter-city bus, auto, ferry, taxi or metro train to enter the city. It has the potential to host a worldclass mega shopping mall, food courts, cultural centre and health club, a hotel and a 50m swimming pool in a total built-up area of 150,000 sq m.

Construction

KITCO, the consultants, is entrusted with total implementation of the project. (The feasibility study of the project too was conducted by KITCO). The tenders for the construction of first phase was granted to Nagarjuna constructions from among seven companies which submitted tenders. The selection was on account of quoting the lowest amount for the execution of the project and the first phase of the project was completed in February 2011.

References

{{Kochi (India) topics Bus stations in Kerala Transport in Kochi Transport infrastructure completed in 2011