HYDERABAD: With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and work-from-home rules for many residents, the Hyderabad Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) is experiencing a 50 per cent drop in footfall and many train compartments sport a deserted look, especially during afternoons.
MMTS trains have traditionally been the busiest and cheapest mode of transportation in the twin cities for the past 18 years. Every morning hour, these trains, heading towards Hitec City, used to be crowded with passengers and finding a seat was a always difficult task in Secunderabad and Kacheguda stations.
However, the usual buzz is missing after the services were resumed on June 23, after they were suspended on March 23, 2020, during the first lockdown. Sources say that more than 1.5 lakh passengers used to travel every day by MMTS trains, but now around 50,000 passengers are availing the services.
The majority of passengers, who travelled by MMTS, were tech-firm employees and since most of the offices in the IT corridor have implemented work from home for employees, the patronage is remaining low. Until the offices open for physical occupancy and Covid-19 goes way, the passenger rush would be comparatively less, an official said.
At present, the South Central Railway (SCR) is running 65 MMTS services daily and 55 services on Sundays due to low patronage. Before Covid-19, SCR used to operate 121 services from around 25 local stations including Lingampally, Kacheguda, Secunderabad, Malakpet and Faluknama.
On the other hand, Suburban Train Travellers Association (STTA) has appealed to the SCR asking them to introduce few services from Charlapalli to Hyderabad/Lingampally via Malkajgiri for the benefit of industrial workers at Charlapalli and software employees working in Hitec City.
“A lot of money is spent on electrification and service buildings, but the MMTS trains are not running with the same frequency as the State government has not released its share. We request railway authorities to discuss in length to run a pair of MMTS trains to migitate the hardships of commuters and provide better, fast and cheap transport to passengers,” said Noor Ahmed, a member of STTA.