This month will mark a year of Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) operations beginning with the inaugural run between Nagole-Ameerpet-Miyapur. This, along with the recently opened Ameerpet-L.B. Nagar route, is now carrying more than 1.5 lakh passengers daily, say metro rail officials.
Swanky air-conditioned coaches, multiple entry-exits, lifts, escalators et al at stations which are naturally ventilated and well lit during the nights are making more passengers of all age groups hop onto the three-coach trains.
Same goes for ground-level infrastructure where HMR has made a determined effort to build world-class pedestrian and passenger-friendly amenities like well paved wide footpaths, steel barricades to prevent spillage onto the main roads, street furniture, etc.
These have been built almost fully across 30 km of the inaugural route to an extent of 500 metres or more on both sides of the stations. And, while metro rail officials are busy trying to provide the same look between Ameerpet-L.B. Nagar, a few maintenance issues seem to have cropped up at least on the street level infrastructure front.
Footpath dug up
Near stations like Begumpet, the approach footpath has been dug up for weeks forcing pedestrians to walk on the main road and obstacles to prevent bikes from clambering onto it remained broken for months.
Open urinal
Another corner of a pillar has become an open urinal. It is much worse at Parade Grounds where the pavement underneath has become a popular squatting zone.
Or, for that matter take the example of Secunderabad East railway station where steel spokes protrude dangerously. “Stations are well lit but we cannot say the same for under the road where we have to watch our step despite new footpaths,” says Anil, a passenger.
HMR, in fact, had faced lot of trouble in removing encroachments, electricity equipment, cables, etc., in taking up footpaths and the like, but seems to have been unsuccessful in convincing GHMC sanitation department to clean up station surroundings because sweepers are seen doing up the adjacent main road.
‘Will monetise space’
“We are looking at various options on improving the maintenance and sanitation at the stations by monetising station spaces. It should be in place in a few months when we finalise the parking complexes,” says HMR MD N.V.S. Reddy.
