HYDERABAD: Metro rail services from LB Nagar to Ameerpet will be completed by August and not by June as anticipated earlier, said Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd managing director NVS Reddy, on Thursday. Meanwhile, the stretch between Ameerpet and Hi-Tech City will be completed by October, he assured.
Speaking on the sidelines of an event announcing HMRL's partnership with Uber, Reddy said that services will begin on the LB Nagar-Ameerpet stretch along with Communications-based Train Control (CBTC) technology, which will increase the speed, cutting down commute time for users. "This technology will be used in India for the first time with its launch in Hyderabad. The present metro rail stretch from Nagole to Ameerpet is not supported by this technology yet," he revealed.
The same is with the Ameerpet to Miyapur stretch. Reddy said that everyday 60,000 passengers are using the metro. There are also plans to begin a line from Raidurgam area to the Shamshabad Airport. The details of this aspect of the project are being worked out and the funds are being estimated, he also informed.
Earlier, HMRL and Uber signed a partnership to compliment public transit systems for setting up kiosks at 24 stations across the city.
Speaking at the event, Uber's chief operating officer(COO) Barney Harford said that his company believed that ride sharing services will complement public transportation systems making travel seamless commutes.
"We are reducing the need for private car ownership and making infrastructure accessible to the citizens of Hyderabad. This partnership we are announcing today provides first and last mile connectivity to 24 major Metro stations in the city and extend the reach and convenience of public transportation in the State," he added.
NVS Reddy said it is important to connect more parts of the city and it will help commuters to save the time and money. "Through this partnership, metro commuters can enjoy the ease of booking an Uber ride across all active stations in the Hyderabad. Uber will work closely with HMRL to enable seamless last mile connectivity for the riders," he added.
Three Uber drivers, including Uber Cab drivers association president S Siddharth Goud, staged a flash protest at an event organised by Uber in Taj Deccan hotel in Hyderabad on Thursday. Barney Harford, COO, Uber soon left the venue as bouncers forcefully evicted the protesters.The Uber company cad drivers raised their demands for health insurance and also raised issues of work pressure and harassments. "Our concerns are not being addressed and in the past two years, seventeen drivers have attemped suicide," he added.