HMR to engage independent agency to survey metro rail operations

L&TMRH has requested the appointment of the fare revision committee ; suggestions invited from public on fare revision

L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad has reported a loss of over ₹1,700 crore in the last financial year even as there is no word on a government-appointed committee to make recommendations on bailing out the loss making company. | Photo Credit: File photo

Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) Limited, the Telangana Government’s Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which has overseen the metro rail project construction and the running now, will be soon appointing a reputed firm involved in socio-economic research to study the current metro rail operations, costing, passenger amenities and the affordability factor.

Senior metro rail officials informed on Monday that this is following the Central Government’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoUH) constituting a three-member ‘Fare Fixation Committee’ (FCC) for recommending a fare revision under the chairmanship of Justice (retired) G. Shyam Prasad, MoUH Addl Secretary Surendra Kumar Badge and Telangana Municipal Administration and Urban Development Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar.

The panel formed under the Central Metro Railways Act has begun functioning from the Metro Rail Bhavan. It has started consultations and has already gone through separate presentations by the HMR and the concessionnaire L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH).

L&TMRH, which has built the project, and is running across the three corridors of Red Line — L.B. Nagar to Miyapur; Blue Line — Nagole to Raidurg; and Green Line — Jubilee Bus Station (JBS) to Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS), Imlibun, or 69 km in all, has requested the appointment of the fare revision committee with the completion of five years this month, informed senior metro officials.

“The committee will receive suggestions from the public and will go into the details of the costing, income and expenditure of running and maintaining the transport system. It has three months to submit a report. L&TMRH will making a submission and this too will be studied including the real estate development before it is taken to the government by the HMR for a final decision,” they said.

Metro riders can offer inputs about the fares — whether it can be increased, reduced or keep the same — and also about passenger comforts to the committee. On the other hand, “The agency to be appointed will be doing an independent survey talking to the commuters, do a lot analysis, study inflationary trends and rail operations also,” said HMR Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy, when contacted.

L&TMRH has reported a loss of over ₹1,700 crore in the last financial year, while there is no word on a government-appointed top officials committee to make recommendations on bailing out the loss making company last year. The fare fixation committee has invited suggestions from the public regarding the metro rail fares through mail at ffchmrl@gmail.com or by post to The Chairman, Fare Fixation Committee, Metro Rail Bhavan, Begumpet, Secunderabad – 500003 by November 15.