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High court directs govt to revive KMTA by Nov 1

High court directs govt to revive KMTA by Nov 1

Time of Indiaa day ago
Kochi: In an order that could improve the transport infrastructure of the city, Kerala High Court issued a directive asking state govt to revive Kochi Metropolitan Transport Authority (KMTA) by Nov 1.
KMTA came into force in 2020 but is yet to be fully operational and there is a strong demand from various quarters to revive it.
Considering a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Richard Rajesh Kumar and Arjun P Bhaskar, the court said that KMTA should be fully operational by Kerala Piravi Day and govt can provide adequate staff and funds for the proper functioning of the authority.
KMTA, the first of its kind in India to integrate, plan and regulate different commuting modes in Kochi, was inaugurated on Nov 1, 2020.
The authority is chaired by transport minister and has transport secretary as its vice-chairman. However, there was no major initiative from KMTA to strengthen the public transport system in the city, except for some initiatives like forming a society of autorickshaw unions and seven companies of bus operators in the city.
KMTA convened its first meeting on Jan 22, 2021, and took various decisions for the smooth and timely implementation of integrated transport projects in the city.
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But there was no further action by the authorities. As per section 12 of KMTA Act, 2019, the authority is conferred with a wide range of duties and functions to maintain the effective development of urban transport. The act envisages a comprehensive mobility plan and includes developments such as technology-based solutions for traffic management, detection of traffic offences, parking infrastructure and other such developments.
Govt had mooted a plan to increase the urban mobility area under KMTA three years ago and a proposal regarding this was presented at its board meeting. As per this, nine municipalities and 29 panchayats should be brought under KMTA's purview to ensure its proper functioning.
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