Ministers Travel In Hyderabad Metro, No Clarity On Fare Yet!

Hyderabad: The much awaited Hyderabad Metro Rail will be opened to the general public from November 29 after its launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

Minister KT Rama Rao, senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya, several TRS leaders and officials took a test ride in the metro train on Saturday from Nagole to Mettuguda, about 8 km stretch. The Ministers and officials got a feel of the metro rail and the state-of-art facilities in coach. Metro rail managing director NVS Reddy said that a smart card would be introduced very soon for transport services and cash transactions.

Although the government is still dillydallying about the fare structure, the sources hinted that the minumum fare would be around Rs 10. If one has to commute from Nagole to Mettugude, the metro would charge Rs 25 for the ride. The full-day ticket is available at Rs 40. Due to the project cost escalation, project developer L&T has suggested that the fare be hiked. The developer wants that fares to be higher than the figures mentioned in 2011.

Meanwhile, a study conducted by VIT university said that the air quality is expected to improve after the launch of the metro rail. The experts say that the noise levels would also come down considerably if the commuters use the public transport effectively.