Modi to travel in metro from Palarivattom to Pathadipalam.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel in the Kochi metro corridor from Palarivattom to Pathadipalam and back, prior to inaugurating the system of mass rapid transport at the international stadium at Kaloor on Saturday.

The inauguration has been fixed for 11 a.m. by the Prime Minister’s Office, Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) sources said. The other dignitaries include Union Urban Development Minister Venkiah Naidu and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

There is mounting concern at delay by the PWD and Kochi Corporation in repairing potholed arterial roads in the city, despite the impending VVIP visit. This has been attributed to the agencies not carrying out pre-monsoon maintenance works during the summer.

In the meantime, Mayor Soumini Jain and a team of corporators travelled by the metro on Monday. Safe and hassle-free commuting was Kochi metro’s trademark, Ms Jain said. With this, the Greater Kochi area is expected to shift to an efficient mode of commuting.

This would lessen traffic snarls in the corridor caused by proliferation of private vehicles. It will also open the door for opportunities in tourism and industry. The metro was also disabled friendly, she said.

The corporators sang songs during the entire journey, relishing each moment.

Reacting to the travel on the metro by corporators, KMRL managing director Elias George said that the involvement and support of representatives of the corporation, the municipalities of Aluva and Tripunithura and the Choornikkara panchayat (where the coaching depot at Muttom is located) was crucial for the metro to succeed. The project attained this much completion due to their support, he said.

THE HINDU