Taken below, with due verbal permission, is a two page note on transport issues in Hyderabad.
Many thanks are due to Dr. C. Ramachandraiah and his team for their efforts.
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Mass Transit Options for Hyderabad (and the Region)
by Dr. C. Ramachandraiah, Associate Professor,
(Citizens for a Better Public Transport in Hyderabad)
Introduction:
In the city region, the APSRTC carries about 3 million passengers everyday. About 53% of the passengers travel less than 8 km, 73% upto 12 km only. MMTS (Multi-Modal Transit System) trains are becoming popular with the Phase-I carrying about 1.2 lakh each day.
Hyderabad is a large city without footpaths. There is No Public Transport and Management Policy.
Public transport should provide a cheaper and faster mode of travel by giving a high priority to public transport vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles on the roads. It will improve air quality and promote public health, decongest the city, and strengthen the city with the region around.
Public transport should not be viewed as a profit-loss venture.
Elevated metro rail:
• It covers 71.5 km in three corridors (Miyapur-Chaitanyapuri, Nagole-Shilparamam, and JBS-Falaknuma) with 66 stations.
• It is highly expensive (costs about Rs. 9700 crore, i.e. about Rs. 136 crore per Km as on today). Will escalate by 30-50% at least? Likely to reach Rs. 200 cr per km. Private financing to be 60%.
• It needs largescale demolition of buildings in the core areas. About 5000 commercial and 2000 residential properties going to be affected. About 3000 sq.yrds required for each station.
• About 30 stations or so to be developed as shopping malls for the private developers. These malls should come up in the middle of the roads. It is basically a construction and real estate project.
• Metro rail fares will be highly expensive compared to MMTS and buses.
• Elevated Metro Rail is an Externally Driven project. A combination of Indian and foreign construction companies, foreign coach manufacturers, foreign consultants, DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) etc. are pushing this project.
• The Transportation Engineering Departments of the JNTU, Hyderabad and NIT, Warangal have not been involved at any stage in the formulation of this project. It may be noted that the REC, Warangal has done a comprehensive study for under the leadership of Prof. Raghavachari and submitted a report in 1988. Most of the recommendations of that study have not been implemented.
• With the elevated Corridors and stations at 12 metres height (about 4th floor level), the skyline of the city will get defaced permanently. Assembly building, and several historical heritage precincts (viz., Mojamjahi Market, Salarjung Museum, Clock Tower etc.) will lose their grandeur. One heritage building near Sultan Bazar may have to be demolished. Sultan Bazaar as a landmark will disappear.
Therefore, THIS Metro rail project should be SCRAPPED.
Mass transit models should be city specific. HYDERABAD IS NOT DELHI.
We have BETTER & CHEAPER ALTERNATIVES
Our alternatives – Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) with a combination of modes for
Hyderabad city and the metropolitan region.
FOR HYDERABAD CITY
MMTS on DEDICATED TRACKS:
· With dedicated tracks along the existing railway lines (about 110 km or so), frequency of the MMTS trains can be increased significantly covering the routes of Lingampally-Nampally, Lingampally-Secunderabad-Falaknuma- Shamshabad, Sec’bad to Medchal, Sec’bad to Ghatkesar (SCR General Manager, Mr. D.N. Mathur, has said on record that dedicated tracks can be laid along the existing tracks. Railway lands are available for this. Land acquisition is required at some places).
- A new railway line (underground/elevated/surface) from Nampally to Malakpet to LB Nagar to Hayatnagar. Then a circular inner rail network will form connecting Nampally-Malakpet-Kacheguda-Secunderabad-Begumpet-Nampally. It will reduce a lot of load on the roads.
BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System):
• Runs on the existing roads on dedicated bus lanes. This system will have compulsory footpaths and cycle paths (unlike in the metro project) as a package. Roads are redesigned for this. It can be expanded easily into several routes.
• The cost is estimated at Rs. 12-17 crore per km.
• Passenger fares will be less for BRT than Metro rails. It is operating in over 35 cities in the world.
Develop transit hubs in the city: Lakdikapool, Ameerpet, Secunderabad, Mehdipatnam, Kothi/Gowliguda etc
FOR THE METROPOLITAN REGION
There are a number of medium towns in the 50-150 km range from Hyderabad along the existing railway routes. Shamshabad, Hayatnagar, Ghatkesar, Medchal and Patancheru/Lingampally/Shankarpally (or where the ORR intersects the railway line) should be developed as transit hubs.
People living in the towns of the neighbouring districts should be able to commute by high- speed trains to one of these five transit stations along the ORR and change into the city-based trains. In course of time, those towns/districts will develop and also decongest the city.
. A pleasant and quick ride home. Considering a representation to delay the pushpull by about 40 mins from scheduled time so that many college faculty and others in offices can take the train home, saving time on the journey.
