HYDERABAD: The frequency and speed of metro trains will be increased shortly. Participating in a review meeting with urban development minister KT Rama Rao here on Tuesday, Hyderabad Metro Rail managing director NVS Reddy assured the minister that the frequency, as well as the speed of the metro trains, would be increased. Reddy’s assurance came in the wake of Rama Rao’s instructions to officials to initiate steps in that direction.
Rao also directed officials to prepare detailed project reports on the proposed Metro Phase-II. They should identify corridors, stations and sources of funds, and submit a report at the earliest as chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is expected to hold a meeting on the second phase of the project. Top priority should be given to extending the metro up to the international airport at Shamshabad. He also wanted the HMRL to identify various important places in the city for being given metro connectivity to the airport. The minister asked officials to explore the possibility of running 100 electric buses by holding talks with TSRTC and SETWIN authorities, and to speed up work on parking lots, footpath improvement and provision of amenities.
Reddy informed the minister that the percentage of commuters travelling by Hyderabad metro is greater than that in other cities including Chennai. Tenders for multi-level parking lots at 12 metro stations, including the one at Nampally, will be invited soon. There is a proposal to construct a skywalk from the Uppal cricket stadium to the Uppal metro station, he said.