Kochi City plans GIS mapping to link transport services in Metro Rail Ltd

Kochi: The city is nursing an ambition to embrace geographic information system (GIS) just like Singapore where it is used to analyze data related to land use, environment, population density and traffic movement. Here, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) is planning a GIS mapping of the Greater Cochin area to develop traffic and transport infrastructure.

KMRL has sought the state government's approval for the Rs 1.25 crore-project, which will be implemented by Keltron. The proposal is now being vetted by the financial department. The mapping process is a critical part of the integrated ticketing system being implemented by KMRL, where a common smart card will link all public transportation facilities.

A KMRL official said that the agency was developing an app for the integrated ticketing system. "We need to capture and store all data related to Greater Cochin. Singapore is a virtual city, where all details - transport and other sectors - are mapped and stored for public use. We are planning to turn Kochi into a similar city," he said.

-- The Greater Cochin area comprises city corporation, nine municipalities and 25 panchayats. All Metro stations, bus stands, depots, auto stands, roads, power cables and BSNL lines in the area will be captured during the mapping process. After this, buses in the area will be given separate numbers by dividing the routes into different clusters (like Piravom route one cluster and Vypeen another), with a common cluster letter.

The app becomes handy for a passenger, who is unaware of the route and Metro-bus-boat services. "For example, the person can enter his present area and his destination. The app will display the distance to the nearby bus stand, route number of the bus he should take, arrival time, fare and distance. If a bus service is unavailable, the app will showcase options like the Metro train, boats or an auto and mark the route he needs to take," said the official, adding that the map will also have multiple routes to each destination. The app will aid the government when it wants to locate roads or utility lines like KSEB or BSNL. --

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