German-made high-end bicycles and battery-run e-bikes will be made available to the passengers of the Metro rail at designated bike stations for providing the ‘first and last mile connectivity’ from Metro stations and to offices or homes.
These bikes will have chips embedded in them for riders to use once they are equipped with the Metro rail fare cards or even the smartphones for making nominal payment for providing a complete environment-friendly public transport.
This is being made possible due to a tripartite pact between Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMR), Hyderabad Bicycling Club (HBC), and the UN Habitat. “It is a Rs. 100 crore project and we are going to tap funds from international funding organisations involved in climate change. Detailed project report is ready, vendors have also been identified,” said HBC chairman D.V. Manohar.
“We are going to have 10,000 bikes at designated 300 bike stations along the Metro corridors. The government has also positively responded for providing separate bicycling tracks,” he said at a press conference.
Bikes and their stations will be functional in tandem with the commissioning of the Metro rail project in stages. HBC membership, which is free, is mandatory to ride the state-of-the-art bikes. Each bicycle costs Rs. 50, 000, while e-bike costs Rs. 1 lakh.
HMR managing director N.V.S. Reddy said the effort is to provide seamless travel facility through feeder mini-buses or bikes within 100 hundred yards of homes. Bike stations and allied infrastructure is being taken up in association with the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
A passenger charter too will be brought out elucidating on the rights and responsibilities. He also clarified that L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH) was allotted space at 20 of the 66 overhead stations for parking and commercial complexes. HMR itself is going to build parking complexes at 15 stations. “We are also looking at a few government sites at other stations for the same,” said Mr. Reddy.
Ex-Mayor of Adelaide Stephen Yarwood, who joined the HBC board, was emphatic that the “era of cars is over”. More roads only meant more cars and more pollution. If Hyderabad is to become a global destination, integrated affordable public transport is the key, he said.
‘Metro on schedule’Metro rail project is on schedule, and although there are hurdles, these will be overcome soon, assured HMR MD N.V.S. Reddy here on Thursday. Two stretches are ready for commissioning — Nagole to Mettuguda (8 km), which got clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety, and Miyapur to S.R.Nagar (12 km) which is awaiting the green signal.
