The Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited & L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad are proposing to introduce monthly and concessional passes once the metro rail is extended from Ameerpet to HiTec City in late December.
HMR Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy and L&TMRH MD K.V.B. Reddy told press persons at the Metro Rail Bhavan on Monday that about 1.75-1.80 lakh passengers were travelling every day between Nagole-Ameerpet and Miyapur-L.B. Nagar and the number would increase once the HiTec City route was commissioned.
The metro rail would be run even if the proposed ‘reverse’ viaduct work was not completed by then as there were other “technical options”, said Mr. Reddy, without getting into specifics but reiterating that ticket fares would be uniform across all corridors.
‘More to come’
The MD said the project was still in early stages and there was more to come in terms of innovation and convenience to passengers when street level infrastructure like footpaths, seating, barricading, and signage were completed in all respects within one year between Ameerpet and L.B.Nagar to an extent of 600 metres on either side of the station.
“We will be spending ₹2 crore at each station for the ground work and the highlight will be the heritage precinct between Assembly station and MGBS covering Nampally, Gandhi Bhavan and Osmania Medical College. We will bring back the glory of Hyderabad,” said Mr. Reddy.
The Central Government too had recognised this ‘urban rejuvenation’ and was now making it mandatory for all metro rails to spend between 1% and 5% of the total cost on footpath and other street works, he said.
Modern parking complexes between 24 stations of the inaugural stretch of Nagole-Miyapur were finalised and parking fee would be a uniform ₹3 for an hour for a bike and ₹8 for a car at all stations.
‘Best transit project’
The Hyderabad Metro Rail project has been adjudged “Best Urban Mass Transit Project” by the Central Government and the Award of Excellence was presented to HMR MD N.V.S. Reddy and L&TMRH MD K.V.B. Reddy jointly during the Urban Mobility India Conference at Nagpur on Sunday.
Appreciating the unique features of the project, the Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs termed it an outstanding project with a lot of engineering and financial innovations. With this, the HMR has won 68 awards.
