COVID protocols, fuel prices has Hyderabad Metro Rail back in reckoning
Hyderabad: Hyderabad Metro Rail’s daily passenger load has now built itself back to around 1.86 lakh. Still, this forms only 45 per cent of its pre-Covid figures. This summer will see a further increase for three reasons.
The air-conditioned travel facility usually attracts more people to Metro services during summer season. The steady hike in fuel prices are bound to dissuade many to keep their vehicles at home and commute by train. Three, the Covid fear is slowly ebbing.
Metro officials say that with an air of confidence steadily building up and people are venturing out, the mass transport system is expecting sooner or later to return to the year-ago level. In February 2020, the ridership was four lakh people a day.
After an abrupt halt for five months, Metro Rail resumed services on September 7 last but there were very few who opted to step in, board and travel. Air-conditioning inside the trains added to the worry. Such fears are receding now. The data last month showed the passenger strength rising to 1.86 lakh per day.
More and more people are streaming in during morning and evening peak hours. An L&T official said, "Confidence-building measures in terms of awareness and safety protocols have helped. People generally opted for metro rail in the summer season due to the affordable air-conditioned mode of travel."
Officials note that with the prices of petrol and diesel rising, many cannot afford to take their vehicles out on a daily basis. Within the city, long-distance journeys will thus be more by metro rail rather than by private vehicles, they reckon.
Commuters say they have been safe and careful and followed all the safety protocols. Nausheen Ali working in the healthcare sector in Madhapur says, "Travel by Metro is safe. It also helps us save time and avoid delays due to congestion in central city areas."
Many marketing executives who travel a lot inside the city say they prefer this mode. Yet there are problems of end-point connectivity at metro stations. Officials say it will take time to restore these. They urge commuters to book their transport via apps so that there is no queuing up of other vehicles near metro stations.
The workforce in the information technology sector is continuing to work from home. This meant a part of the crowd in Metro trains is now missing. In the pre-Covid days, Friday evenings saw Metro trains packed to full as IT professionals moved towards Uppal and LB Nagar and on to their homes in the city outskirts. This scenario is missing now. With vaccination reaching all segments of the population in coming months, more youths would return to the Metro mode.
Metro officials feel this is time to restore confidence among commuters. They are trying to increase the footfalls in station areas of Panjagutta by organising festivals for shopping and entertainment.
