New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged-off the Delhi-Faridabad Metro Line that would allow hassle free travel for around two lakh daily commuters between the national capital and the industrial hub in Haryana.The extension of the Delhi Metro connects Badarpur to Escorts Mujesar in Faridabad.The total cost of the project from Badarpur to Escorts Mujesar is nearly Rs. 2,500 crore. Out of this, Rs. 1,557 crore was borne by the Haryana Government, the Centre contributed Rs. 537 crore, while the Delhi Metro provided Rs. 400 crore.The nine stations in this section include, Sarai, NHPC Chowk, Mewala Maharajpur, Sector 28, Badkal Mor, Old Faridabad, Neelam Chowk Ajronda, Bata Chowk and Escorts Mujesar. buy kamagra polo online https://lasernailtherapy.com/wp-content/themes/twentytwentytwo/inc/patterns/en/kamagra-polo.html no prescription
All these are elevated and located on either side of the Delhi-Mathura Road (NH-2).“The nine-station metro corridor which was 95 per cent indigenously built will provide people a safe, affordable, quick, comfortable, reliable, environment-friendly and sustainable transport facility,” a Haryana government spokesperson said.Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar, addressing a press conference on Saturday, had thanked the Prime Minister for “gifting” the Metro service which would take the city to “another level of progress” with better connectivity with other NCR towns.He had also said that the Prime Minister would be announcing the go-ahead for connecting Gurgaon with Faridabad by Metro.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), a joint venture of Govt. buy neurontin online https://www.parkviewortho.com/wp-content/languages/new/prescription/neurontin.html no prescription
of India and Govt. of NCT of Delhi intends to appoint the following Director level position:-Name of the post: DIRECTOR (ROLLING STOCK) – 01 postDate of Vacancy: 1st January’2018Scale of the Post: Rs.75000-100000 (IDA) and other allowances/perks/privileges
applicable of the Directors of Schedule ‘A’ Central PSUs.Duration of Appointment: The appointment to this post will be on contract basis presently for a period of 5 years or the date of superannuation, whichever is
earlier.Qualification: The applicant should have a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical or Mechanical or Electronics and Communication Engineering.Experience: Experience in Rolling Stock or Signaling and Telecommunication. Applicants having experience of dealing with International Funding Agencies and International Consultants, shall have an added advantage.All applicants should send their application as per the format by or before 22/12/2017.Click here to know more details.
Lucknow: The telecommunication system being used in the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) is one of the most advanced systems in Metro operation which is used in operational 8.5 km “Priority Corridor” between Transport Nagar and Charbagh. Lucknow Metro is using this state-of-the-art telecommunication and has planned to use the same system for the whole corridor in the upcoming underground as well as the elevated sections of the North South corridor (Phase 1-A).
In this system, Gigabit Ethernet is used as backbone transmission network and nodes (stations as well as Operation Control Centre) are connected by duplicate rings of Optical Fiber and Communication system is designed in a way that failure of a single component does not affect availibility of the whole system during the operation of the Metro train.
This system provides video phone facilities at all the Station Control Room and Theatre at Operation Control Centre for communication between train operator and the operation controller by wireless Radio system which is based on TETRA standards. Through this facility, train operators can immediately convey the message in their group (all trains, station control rooms & contollers in OCC) and can take instructions from authorities accordingly.
Announcement system is also available in Lucknow Metro through which train arrival/departure related announcements at platform and concourse level of the station is made through automatic system as per the position and its expectation at stations. Passenger Information Display Boards available in Metro train and at platforms level at all Metro stations display the information of train arrival/departure at the double sided display boards.
Lucknow Metro is the first Metro in the country which has tied up with Radio City 91.1 FM and launched its very own FM Radio. It is now providing specialised content, public announcements, jingles, melodious music at all Metro stations for the commuters of Lucknow Metro.
Hyderabad Metro : The uncertainty is finally over. Metro rail services have arrived in Hyderabad. Metro train services can avoid unwanted congestion on roads as it is a mass transport system that has the capacity to carry millions of commuters at a high speed and frequency.This would ensure greater dispersal of population leading to lowering urban density. Such a rapid and mass transport system can reduce reliance on private transport to a great extent, contributing to many economic and environmental benefits. It saves fuel and reduces pollution. The productivity of Hyderabad city would be enhanced with the arrival of this new transport system.“How is Metro different from suburban train or monorail”
A rapid transit system like Metro is a technologically advanced public transport system, which operates on rail tracks in an urban area with high capacity and high frequency, is fast and is segregated from other traffic – underground tunnels (subways) or elevated above street level (elevated transit line). This system is automated with respect to operations and since it has a dedicated right of way it is able to provide high reliability to its users. Whereas monorail is a rubber tyre guide way-based transportation system which is guided on a single beam with a much lower carrying capacity. Source: Reliance Mumbai Metro.Cities like Hyderabad certainly need a mass, rapid and affordable public transport system. A city is considered to be environmentally sustainable, if at least 70 per cent of the people use public transport to commute. But, estimates suggest that in Indian cities, public transport caters to less than 40 per cent of people, with Hyderabad probably not being an exception.But the reports indicate that the Metro fares are far higher than what was expected and earlier agreed upon. This raises serious questions over the affordability which we cannot ignore amidst the euphoria over the arrival of the much-delayed Hyderabad Metro. Commentators who defend higher fares on Hyderabad Metro compare them with those of air-conditioned buses. But that cannot be a justification. Metro fares should be accessible to common commuters especially the working people.The long gestation period and the unexpected delays are cited to defend relatively higher fares on Hyderabad Metro. But the ordinary metro commuters are not responsible for this inordinate delay that led to cost overruns. Why should they be penalised for no fault of their own. Everybody knows that partisan demands and whimsical politics were behind the delay. The ordinary commuters are now asked to pay for the failures of polity and governance.The higher fares are not just a burden for ordinary commuters, they also go against the economic logic of ensuring the viability of such a mass transport system. In any transport sector, higher fares dampen the occupancy ratio (OR). Higher Occupancy Ratio is essential for ensuring the fiscal viability of a transport system.The recent experience of Delhi Metro testifies to this argument. After the second metro fare hike in October, Delhi Metro lost over three lakh commuters per day. The ridership data came from an RTI query. The average ridership of 27.4 lakh in September came down to 24.2 lakh in October, a fall of about 11 per cent.The experience of Delhi Metro should serve as a warning signal for Hyderabad Metro. Given the complaints that the initial fare itself is higher than what was agreed upon, any further fare hike is fraught with similar such consequences. But often the Metro authorities cite increase in operational costs to justify the fare hike. Though this cannot be completely ruled out, its implications on the occupancy ratio and in turn on its future viability also cannot be ignored. This brings to fore the importance of non-fare revenues sources.Make fares public-friendly so that wage labourers and other ordinary commuters do not suffer. Metro should be accessible to all strata and income groups, if it has to serve the purpose for which it is meant for. Across the world, investments are made in Metro systems for higher economic returns rather than financial viability. Mass and rapid public transport systems like Metro do not just benefit the individual commuters, it has positive externalities like improving the productivity of work force, thereby contributing to the overall economic growth.Besides the city will have better environmental sustainability and decongestion, leading to urban dispersal. This would in turn ensure lower cost of living and better living conditions. For instance, people can reside in a faraway place where the living costs are relatively less and commute to work places in the heart of the city. But the problem is that all such positive externalities do not offer monetary accruals for the said transport system to facilitate its financial viability. This is precisely the dilemma that haunts the State Road Transport Corporation (RTC). We always hear about RTC incurring huge losses.Meanwhile, Metro rail services are capital-intensive. As India’s Metro Man Sreedharan said in a media interview sometime back, “a good reliable transportation system is a must to make a city liveable and for its economic growth. Would Mumbai have been able to survive without its suburban rail services?” Metro cannot be a profitable business. But, Hyderabad Metro is modelled as a profitable venture. Metro operators often hike fares to make it profitable. This has its negative impact as explained above. The profitability of the business and its affordability to the commuters are mutually irreconcilable. How this gets resolved is something to be keenly watched.The experiences offer grim lessons. For instance Delhi Airport Express line performed dismally when its fares were high in order to recover costs. Reliance Infrastructure which was originally operating the line has ultimately abandoned the project.This is not to sound alarming bells on the Muhurat day. But, the objective is to make people alive to impending problems so as to ensure that the Hyderabad Metro is affordable to commuters and profitable to its operator. buy bupropion generic rxxbuynoprescriptiononline.com/bupropion.html over the counter
Therefore, the governments which are so anxious to invest in elite projects like bullet trains should focus more on Metro rail services. This is essential as Metro services are expensive to operate and need to be affordable to lower strata of the society.Experience with Metro projects and similar such transport systems reveal that there are often underestimation of costs and exaggeration of benefits especially inflated ridership. This is not the result of any error or hyderabad unexpected developments. But, it’s a result of strategic misrepresentation to serve business interests (‘Mythologies Metro Rail Systems and Future Urban Transport,’ by Dinesh Mohan, Economic and Political Weekly, 26th January 2008). One only hopes that Hyderabad Metro will not face such a worldwide experience.
New Delhi: Fares of Delhi Metro are likely to go up in January 2019 again going by the recommendations of a Centre-appointed committee authorised to fix the mass rapid transit’s commuting tariff.The two-phase fare hike effected in May and October was recommended by the same committee, chaired by Justice (Retd.) M L Mehta, which also had the Delhi chief secretary and the additional secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development on board.In its report, the 4th Fare Fixation Committee (FFC), constituted under the Metro Railway Act, has also recommended an “automatic annual fare revision” under which commuting tariff will go up by up to seven percent.The mechanism, which was also proposed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) management will stay in effect till the constitution of the next FFC, which are authorised under the Act to fix metro fares.The committee recommended that the DMRC shall revise the fares once in a year based on an automatic fare revision formula which takes into account increase in cost of staff, maintenance, energy and the Consumer Price Index or seven percent per annum (in each fare slab), whichever is lower.It also listed a number of stipulations to go with it including the need for revised fares to be implemented on January 1 every year. The latest two-round hike in fares had come after seven years.“All the fares should be rounded off to the next rupee. This automatic fare revision will come in effect from 1st January, 2019, and every year thereafter till the recommendations of the next FFC come into effect” the committee said in the report. buy cipro online https://nouvita.co.uk/wp-content/themes/twentynineteen/fonts/en/cipro.html no prescription
During the tussle over the recent hike with the Arvind Kejriwal government, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri had claimed that the Centre was in no position to tamper with the recommendations of the FFC as doing so is “legally untenable”.Subsequently, fares were hiked by up to 100 percent across multiple distance slabs. On November 24, DMRC’s response to an RTI application filed by a PTI correspondent found that metro lost three lakh commuters per day following the October 10 hike.The revelation triggered a slugfest between the Kejriwal government and the Centre. Kejriwal said the fare hike was “killing” the metro and pushing commuters away from it. Puri maintained that the fall in ridership could not be solely attributed to fare hike and factors such as an extra Sunday, Diwali and Chhath Puja may also have been responsible and also defended the hike saying it was essential for DMRC’s “efficiency”.The current fare structure is: up to 2 km — Rs 10, 2 to 5 km — Rs 20, 5 to 12 km — Rs 30, 12 to 21 km — Rs 40, 21 to 32 km — Rs 50 and for journeys beyond 32 km — Rs 60.
Hyderabad Metro : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday inaugurated the first phase of the Hyderabad Metro rail project. He then joined Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to take part in the inaugural ride from Miyapur to Kukatpally, and back. The first phase of the project, a 30-km stretch between Miyapur and Nagole, will cover 24 stations including Ameerpet and Secunderabad.First women train operators of Hyderabad Metro RailThe fares are fixed between Rs 10 and Rs 60, and passengers can also avail the smart card facility. The trains would run from 6 am to 10 pm initially and the timings would be rescheduled to 5.30 am to 11 pm, depending on the requirements.While inauguration of the city’s first metro rail service will happen at 02:15 pm local time, the services will open for public on Wednesday.“The metro stretch of 30 km, to be thrown open for public, would be the longest in the country on the inauguration,” the Telangana minister KT Rama Rao said.PM Modi will travel on the ‘Red Line’ along with Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao from Miyapur to Kukatpally, and back.Here are five things key points of about the project :Section of Phase 1 to be operational:Phase 1 of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project comprises of three sections — Miyapur to L B Nagar (29.87 km), Nagole to Shilparamam (26.51 km) and JBS to MGBS (10.06 km),Only the Miyapur-Nagole stretch will be inaugurated on Tuesday.Length of the entire system (including Phase 1 and Phase 2) upon completion is expected to be more than 169 kms. Once complete, Phase 1 will have 57 stations.The service:Twenty four metro stations would be opened now. The metro train services are scheduled to function from 6 am to 10 pm initially. The timings would be changed to 5.30 am to 11 pm later, depending on traffic and demand.As many as 57 coaches are ready and available for use with the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMRL). The rolling stock has been built by Hyundai Rotem in Changwon, South Korea.Each train would initially have three coaches which each coach having a capacity to carry 330 people.Smart Card:A smart card has been launched for metro passengers. The card would also be used for other modes of transport in future. A mobile app called T Savari is also expected to operationalise.The Fare:L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd, the concessionaire, has fixed the minimum fare at Rs 10 for a distance of up to two kilometres. The maximum fare is Rs 60 for a distance of more than 26 kms.Hyderabad Metro Rail Fare ChartSecurity:As many as 546 security personnel belonging to private agencies will guard the 24 stations on the Miyapur-Nagole stretch. The personnel will be working under three police officials per station in each shift, according to the Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd (HMRL).Sophisticated CCTV cameras have also been installed at all the stations and in trains.
New Delhi : Delhi Metro Rail A 55-year-old man today allegedly jumped before a Delhi Metro train today in an apparent suicide bid, officials said.The incident occurred around 12:45 pm at ITO station. V K Anand, a resident of Tilak Nagar area in west Delhi, jumped before a train going to Escorts Mujesar from platform number one, officials said.He was rushed to a hospital by metro authorities with injuries on his head and legs.Apparently, it is an attempt to suicide. The police are probing the matter, the officials said.(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hyderabad : Hyderabad Metro Rail About two lakh passengers are expected to take the Hyderabad Metro Rail on a average every day by the third month of operations, once the initial rush of curious commuters wanting to experience the service subsides. Metro Rail estimates that taking the train will cut travel time by 30 minutes to one hour compared to the road journey. It is also less polluting than the road commute.According to a study conducted by JNTU-Hyderabad in 2016, it takes 60 minutes to travel 13 kilometres in the city if there are no traffic jams and the average speed of vehicles is 12 kmph. Bad roads and traffic management is the reason for this. A more recent study by the traffic wing found that the average speed in the city has increased from 12 kmph to 20kmph after junctions were closed, U-turns introduced and barricades set up by L&T in the middle of the roads were removed following completion of the Metro Rail works.
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC), a special purpose vehicle with equal share ownership under Govt. of India and Govt. of Karnataka State looking for following positions:-Name of post: Graduate Civil EngineersVacancies: 80 postsEducational Qualification: Engineering Graduate in Civil Discipline from Government Recognized University / Institute.Selection Process: The Recruitment process will be made strictly as per merit, on the basis of Written Examination. Short listed candidates will be called for verification of the original documents and Kannada test. The written test will be conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority and will be held on Sunday the 28th January 2018.How to Apply: Eligible Interested candidates are required to apply online through BMRCL Website. The last date for submission of online applications is 15/12/2017 up to 6:00 PM.
Nagpur:The Maharastra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha Metro) has decided to go in for captive solar power generation and will get it at Rs4.50 a unit in Nagpur Metro Rail Project. It will use costly conventional power in evening.Mahametro managing director Brijesh Dixit said that the earlier state power generation company Mahagenco was to generate solar power for Nagpur Metro. “It was costing us Rs7.50 per unit and hence we decided to go for self generation in open access captive mode,” he added. Mahametro will tie up with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a central government undertaking, for solar generation. “We will go only for SECI registered companies. The current rate offered by SECI is Rs4.50 a unit. We have made it clear that we want power at less than this rate,” Dixit further said.
Nagpur Metro needs 14MW solar power to meet 65% of its energy needs. Earlier, Mahametro had decided to float a tender for entire 14MW. Now, it will install of solar panels in stages. “The first tender will be only for three stations in the at grade section- Khapri, New Airport and Airport South — which will be used by public from January 2018. buy soft pack online https://www.mydentalplace.com/wp-content/themes/twentytwelve/inc/en/soft-pack.html no prescription
The rate of solar power is reducing by the day and we want to take advantage of this trend. We will increase our solar capacity as and when required,” the MD said.The advantage of open access captive mode is that no permission is required from Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC). “Earlier, we wanted to
generate power under solar roof top policy. The problem is that there is a cap of 1MW under this policy. We had filed a petition in MERC to remove the cap for us as a special case but were not successful,” he told TOI.
Mahametro plans to install solar panels atop its stations and along the boundary wall of the at grade section. Nagpur Metro is the first one in the country to go for solar power right from inception. Other Metro installed solar panels atop their stations much after commence of commercial operation. Mahametro’s green initiative has been lauded by foreign lending agencies.
Nagpur: Another accident at the Nagpur metro construction site took place on Friday when an iron cage of a pillar collapsed at Munje Square, Sitabuldi. The accident created panic among locals but everyone escaped unhurt.The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) contractors were constructing metro rail pillars on the stretch between Munje Square and Anand Talkies square on war footing level.The first iron frame made for the construction of a concrete pillar lost its balance. To tackle this, a crane was called to hold the pillar. But it failed to lift the pillar and hence, it fell down. The collapse resulted in a huge traffic jam which was eventually managed by the traffic officials. “The cage was being placed on the foundation when something went wrong and it started tilting slowly. Within minutes, it collapsed on the road. It narrowly missed a passing autorickshaw carrying passengers. For 45 minutes, the road was not closed for traffic. Police from Dhantoli and Sitabuldi stations responded late,” TOI quoted an eyewitnesses.Talking about this incident, Mahesh Kumar, Director (Projects) of Mahametro said, “As soon as we realized the reinforcement cage was coming down, we stopped the traffic. All safety measures were taken. The cage was held by a hydra machine. Due to some reason, the hydra delivered a jerk to the cage and it lost its balance and started tilting towards the road. Our engineers immediately asked the people present to vacate the area and we blocked the road for traffic”.
Hyderabad: Days ahead of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to commission two stretches of the metro rail, Larsen & Toubro has sought additional time of more than two years to complete the project by November 2019. However, Telangana government has agreed to give the engineering firm further time only till November next year to complete the project.The company, which had a deadline of July 2017 for completing the 72-km metro rail project that will criss-cross Hyderabad in three corridors, has managed to complete only two stretches of about 30 km, which are likely to become operational on November 28.Thirty eight months after it had threatened to pull out of India’s largest metro rail project citing unfavourable business environment in Telangana, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) has sought compensation for the delay in handing over land parcels as per the concession agreement.The company has sought certain concessions as compensation for delays by government in providing continuous right of way (RoW) that affected the project’s viability. “We have agreed to time extension till November 2018 based on the report of independent engineers,” said NVS Reddy, managing director of Hyderabad Metro Rail, a Telangana government arm that oversees metro rail project’s implementation.“As regards the cost overruns and additional financial support, there are some disputes and correspondence is going on,” he said.L&T, which is also building five grade-A retail malls under transit oriented development (TOD), is seeking concessions such as cheaper power, longer sub-lease rights on TOD, security costs at metro stations, compensation for delays and scope of change, along with time extension. The company is also exploring various nonfare revenue generating initiatives to turn the project, which suffered huge time and cost overruns, viable ahead of the targeted time frame for completion.The elevated metro rail project, for which a concession agreement was signed in September 2010, saw a cost overrun of nearly ₹4,000 crore, taking the project cost to more than ₹20,000 crore from ₹16,375 crore estimated earlier.The earlier estimated project cost, which included cost of rail system and TOD, was to be funded by a term loan of ₹11,478 crore, equity capital of ₹3,439 crore and viability gap fund of ₹1,458 crore from the government. “As there have been delays from the government’s side in providing continuous RoW, the company has applied to the government for interim extension of time of scheduled completion date up to November 2019, keeping in view the present progress of the project,” the L&T management told its shareholders in a latest communique, a copy of which was seen by ET. “Rigorous follow up is on with the state government for favourable resolution of the power, sub-lease, security, compensation for delays and scope change, time-extension and other issues pending with the government,” the L&T management said.
Kochi: The Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) is set to re-launch the public bike sharing system, offering free rides to commuters from six main metro stations to various spokes. In June last, the bike sharing system was launched by a private bicycle club with the backing of the KMRL. However, it failed to find many takers. The cycles at racks at places like Kaloor even got rusted. buy silvitra online https://nouvita.co.uk/wp-content/themes/twentynineteen/fonts/en/silvitra.html no prescription
“We’re taking over the scheme and re-launching it so as to benefit metro commuters in a major way. The commuters, instead of walking to the destinations near metro stations, can take a free cycle ride. We’ll deploy 40 new bicycles at six main metro stations in the city soon,” said a KMRL spokesperson.The KMRL would also utilise the existing racks located at Menaka (opposite Gateway Hotel), south railway station (Vivekananda road next to station entrance), north railway station (under the bridge) and Kaloor (opposite private bus stand, KK Road) as various spokes. “The commuters can leave the bicycles here. The cycles can be taken from any of the six stations or rack and returned to any desired rack or at the six stations. The commuter should ensure the bicycle is locked (number lock facility) after returning it. The number lock code will be provided via SMS,” the spokesperson said.The initiative is part of the efforts to develop non-motorised transportation (NMT) facilities and includes setting up of dedicated cycle tracks, pedestrian corridors and walkway-cum-recreational spaces. The KMRL had identified spaces for dedicated cycle corridor at different sections like M G Road, Boat Jetty, Panampilly Nagar, Kadavantra, CUSAT and Fort Kochi. To woo commuters to cycling, a point-system-based public bicycle sharing scheme is also being planned. The commuter will be given discount for metro train travel upon completing a particular level of hours.
New Delhi: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) lost over three lakh commuters a day after a steep fare hike came into effect in October this year, an RTI query has revealed.The DMRC’s daily average ridership came down to 24.2 lakh in October from 27.4 lakh in September, translating to a fall of around 11%. The Blue Line, considered the metro’s busiest, lost over 30 lakh commuters, according to data shared by the DMRC in response to an RTI query.The 50-km corridor connects Dwarka to Noida. The metro currently has 218-km network across Delhi-NCR. The fall, in terms of absolute numbers, was over 19 lakh on the Yellow Line, another busy corridor which connects Gurugram (earlier Gurgaon) to north Delhi’s Samaypur Badli, DMRC said.Ridership has come down several notches below the numbers observed in recent years, bucking a trend of rise on the back of launch of newer sections.
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd. (HMRL) would launch a mobile app, TSavaari, on the launch day of November 28, in which Prime Minister Neradra Modi , Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and top officials are expected to take part at Miyapur depot.The mobile app would provide a comprehensive transport solution, with information on all modes of transport for a journey whether it is a TSRTC bus, MMTS train, metro trains and later even private carriers, said senior metro rail officials, requesting anonymity. Commuters downloading the app would get an update on the nearest TSRTC bus stops and efforts have been on to provide live information on the bus frequency. Apart from ticket tokens that can be purchased at counters at all the stations, a prepaid card of ₹200 would be made available for passengers.Hyderabad Metro rail launched ‘Tsavaari app’But the common smart card ticket for buses, metro rail and even the MMTS trains would take many months from now.The authorities of South Cenatral Railway (SCR) have clearly said there has been no discussion, till now, with either the State government or the metro rail officials on the integration of the services. Given this, there is no question of having a combined ticket for now.“We have not been informehd of the metro rail services’ launch; so there is no change in our schedules as such,” said a senior railway official, unwilling to be quoted.
This would ensure greater dispersal of population leading to lowering urban density. Such a rapid and mass transport system can reduce reliance on private transport to a great extent, contributing to many economic and environmental benefits. It saves fuel and reduces pollution. The productivity of Hyderabad city would be enhanced with the arrival of this new transport system.“How is Metro different from suburban train or monorail”
A rapid transit system like Metro is a technologically advanced public transport system, which operates on rail tracks in an urban area with high capacity and high frequency, is fast and is segregated from other traffic – underground tunnels (subways) or elevated above street level (elevated transit line). This system is automated with respect to operations and since it has a dedicated right of way it is able to provide high reliability to its users. Whereas monorail is a rubber tyre guide way-based transportation system which is guided on a single beam with a much lower carrying capacity. Source: Reliance Mumbai Metro.Cities like Hyderabad certainly need a mass, rapid and affordable public transport system. A city is considered to be environmentally sustainable, if at least 70 per cent of the people use public transport to commute. But, estimates suggest that in Indian cities, public transport caters to less than 40 per cent of people, with Hyderabad probably not being an exception.But the reports indicate that the Metro fares are far higher than what was expected and earlier agreed upon. This raises serious questions over the affordability which we cannot ignore amidst the euphoria over the arrival of the much-delayed Hyderabad Metro. Commentators who defend higher fares on Hyderabad Metro compare them with those of air-conditioned buses. But that cannot be a justification. Metro fares should be accessible to common commuters especially the working people.The long gestation period and the unexpected delays are cited to defend relatively higher fares on Hyderabad Metro. But the ordinary metro commuters are not responsible for this inordinate delay that led to cost overruns. Why should they be penalised for no fault of their own. Everybody knows that partisan demands and whimsical politics were behind the delay. The ordinary commuters are now asked to pay for the failures of polity and governance.The higher fares are not just a burden for ordinary commuters, they also go against the economic logic of ensuring the viability of such a mass transport system. In any transport sector, higher fares dampen the occupancy ratio (OR). Higher Occupancy Ratio is essential for ensuring the fiscal viability of a transport system.The recent experience of Delhi Metro testifies to this argument. After the second metro fare hike in October, Delhi Metro lost over three lakh commuters per day. The ridership data came from an RTI query. The average ridership of 27.4 lakh in September came down to 24.2 lakh in October, a fall of about 11 per cent.The experience of Delhi Metro should serve as a warning signal for Hyderabad Metro. Given the complaints that the initial fare itself is higher than what was agreed upon, any further fare hike is fraught with similar such consequences. But often the Metro authorities cite increase in operational costs to justify the fare hike. Though this cannot be completely ruled out, its implications on the occupancy ratio and in turn on its future viability also cannot be ignored. This brings to fore the importance of non-fare revenues sources.Make fares public-friendly so that wage labourers and other ordinary commuters do not suffer. Metro should be accessible to all strata and income groups, if it has to serve the purpose for which it is meant for. Across the world, investments are made in Metro systems for higher economic returns rather than financial viability. Mass and rapid public transport systems like Metro do not just benefit the individual commuters, it has positive externalities like improving the productivity of work force, thereby contributing to the overall economic growth.Besides the city will have better environmental sustainability and decongestion, leading to urban dispersal. This would in turn ensure lower cost of living and better living conditions. For instance, people can reside in a faraway place where the living costs are relatively less and commute to work places in the heart of the city. But the problem is that all such positive externalities do not offer monetary accruals for the said transport system to facilitate its financial viability. This is precisely the dilemma that haunts the State Road Transport Corporation (RTC). We always hear about RTC incurring huge losses.Meanwhile, Metro rail services are capital-intensive. As India’s Metro Man Sreedharan said in a media interview sometime back, “a good reliable transportation system is a must to make a city liveable and for its economic growth. Would Mumbai have been able to survive without its suburban rail services?” Metro cannot be a profitable business. But, Hyderabad Metro is modelled as a profitable venture. Metro operators often hike fares to make it profitable. This has its negative impact as explained above. The profitability of the business and its affordability to the commuters are mutually irreconcilable. How this gets resolved is something to be keenly watched.The experiences offer grim lessons. For instance Delhi Airport Express line performed dismally when its fares were high in order to recover costs. Reliance Infrastructure which was originally operating the line has ultimately abandoned the project.This is not to sound alarming bells on the Muhurat day. But, the objective is to make people alive to impending problems so as to ensure that the Hyderabad Metro is affordable to commuters and profitable to its operator.
This would ensure greater dispersal of population leading to lowering urban density. Such a rapid and mass transport system can reduce reliance on private transport to a great extent, contributing to many economic and environmental benefits. It saves fuel and reduces pollution. The productivity of Hyderabad city would be enhanced with the arrival of this new transport system.“How is Metro different from suburban train or monorail”
A rapid transit system like Metro is a technologically advanced public transport system, which operates on rail tracks in an urban area with high capacity and high frequency, is fast and is segregated from other traffic – underground tunnels (subways) or elevated above street level (elevated transit line). This system is automated with respect to operations and since it has a dedicated right of way it is able to provide high reliability to its users. Whereas monorail is a rubber tyre guide way-based transportation system which is guided on a single beam with a much lower carrying capacity. Source: Reliance Mumbai Metro.Cities like Hyderabad certainly need a mass, rapid and affordable public transport system. A city is considered to be environmentally sustainable, if at least 70 per cent of the people use public transport to commute. But, estimates suggest that in Indian cities, public transport caters to less than 40 per cent of people, with Hyderabad probably not being an exception.But the reports indicate that the Metro fares are far higher than what was expected and earlier agreed upon. This raises serious questions over the affordability which we cannot ignore amidst the euphoria over the arrival of the much-delayed Hyderabad Metro. Commentators who defend higher fares on Hyderabad Metro compare them with those of air-conditioned buses. But that cannot be a justification. Metro fares should be accessible to common commuters especially the working people.The long gestation period and the unexpected delays are cited to defend relatively higher fares on Hyderabad Metro. But the ordinary metro commuters are not responsible for this inordinate delay that led to cost overruns. Why should they be penalised for no fault of their own. Everybody knows that partisan demands and whimsical politics were behind the delay. The ordinary commuters are now asked to pay for the failures of polity and governance.The higher fares are not just a burden for ordinary commuters, they also go against the economic logic of ensuring the viability of such a mass transport system. In any transport sector, higher fares dampen the occupancy ratio (OR). Higher Occupancy Ratio is essential for ensuring the fiscal viability of a transport system.The recent experience of Delhi Metro testifies to this argument. After the second metro fare hike in October, Delhi Metro lost over three lakh commuters per day. The ridership data came from an RTI query. The average ridership of 27.4 lakh in September came down to 24.2 lakh in October, a fall of about 11 per cent.The experience of Delhi Metro should serve as a warning signal for Hyderabad Metro. Given the complaints that the initial fare itself is higher than what was agreed upon, any further fare hike is fraught with similar such consequences. But often the Metro authorities cite increase in operational costs to justify the fare hike. Though this cannot be completely ruled out, its implications on the occupancy ratio and in turn on its future viability also cannot be ignored. This brings to fore the importance of non-fare revenues sources.Make fares public-friendly so that wage labourers and other ordinary commuters do not suffer. Metro should be accessible to all strata and income groups, if it has to serve the purpose for which it is meant for. Across the world, investments are made in Metro systems for higher economic returns rather than financial viability. Mass and rapid public transport systems like Metro do not just benefit the individual commuters, it has positive externalities like improving the productivity of work force, thereby contributing to the overall economic growth.Besides the city will have better environmental sustainability and decongestion, leading to urban dispersal. This would in turn ensure lower cost of living and better living conditions. For instance, people can reside in a faraway place where the living costs are relatively less and commute to work places in the heart of the city. But the problem is that all such positive externalities do not offer monetary accruals for the said transport system to facilitate its financial viability. This is precisely the dilemma that haunts the State Road Transport Corporation (RTC). We always hear about RTC incurring huge losses.Meanwhile, Metro rail services are capital-intensive. As India’s Metro Man Sreedharan said in a media interview sometime back, “a good reliable transportation system is a must to make a city liveable and for its economic growth. Would Mumbai have been able to survive without its suburban rail services?” Metro cannot be a profitable business. But, Hyderabad Metro is modelled as a profitable venture. Metro operators often hike fares to make it profitable. This has its negative impact as explained above. The profitability of the business and its affordability to the commuters are mutually irreconcilable. How this gets resolved is something to be keenly watched.The experiences offer grim lessons. For instance Delhi Airport Express line performed dismally when its fares were high in order to recover costs. Reliance Infrastructure which was originally operating the line has ultimately abandoned the project.This is not to sound alarming bells on the Muhurat day. But, the objective is to make people alive to impending problems so as to ensure that the Hyderabad Metro is affordable to commuters and profitable to its operator.
The two-phase fare hike effected in May and October was recommended by the same committee, chaired by Justice (Retd.) M L Mehta, which also had the Delhi chief secretary and the additional secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development on board.In its report, the 4th Fare Fixation Committee (FFC), constituted under the Metro Railway Act, has also recommended an “automatic annual fare revision” under which commuting tariff will go up by up to seven percent.The mechanism, which was also proposed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) management will stay in effect till the constitution of the next FFC, which are authorised under the Act to fix metro fares.The committee recommended that the DMRC shall revise the fares once in a year based on an automatic fare revision formula which takes into account increase in cost of staff, maintenance, energy and the Consumer Price Index or seven percent per annum (in each fare slab), whichever is lower.It also listed a number of stipulations to go with it including the need for revised fares to be implemented on January 1 every year. The latest two-round hike in fares had come after seven years.“All the fares should be rounded off to the next rupee. This automatic fare revision will come in effect from 1st January, 2019, and every year thereafter till the recommendations of the next FFC come into effect” the committee said in the report.
The two-phase fare hike effected in May and October was recommended by the same committee, chaired by Justice (Retd.) M L Mehta, which also had the Delhi chief secretary and the additional secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development on board.In its report, the 4th Fare Fixation Committee (FFC), constituted under the Metro Railway Act, has also recommended an “automatic annual fare revision” under which commuting tariff will go up by up to seven percent.The mechanism, which was also proposed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) management will stay in effect till the constitution of the next FFC, which are authorised under the Act to fix metro fares.The committee recommended that the DMRC shall revise the fares once in a year based on an automatic fare revision formula which takes into account increase in cost of staff, maintenance, energy and the Consumer Price Index or seven percent per annum (in each fare slab), whichever is lower.It also listed a number of stipulations to go with it including the need for revised fares to be implemented on January 1 every year. The latest two-round hike in fares had come after seven years.“All the fares should be rounded off to the next rupee. This automatic fare revision will come in effect from 1st January, 2019, and every year thereafter till the recommendations of the next FFC come into effect” the committee said in the report.
Here are five things key points of about the project :Section of Phase 1 to be operational:Phase 1 of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project comprises of three sections — Miyapur to L B Nagar (29.87 km), Nagole to Shilparamam (26.51 km) and JBS to MGBS (10.06 km),Only the Miyapur-Nagole stretch will be inaugurated on Tuesday.Length of the entire system (including Phase 1 and Phase 2) upon completion is expected to be more than 169 kms. Once complete, Phase 1 will have 57 stations.The service:Twenty four metro stations would be opened now. The metro train services are scheduled to function from 6 am to 10 pm initially. The timings would be changed to 5.30 am to 11 pm later, depending on traffic and demand.As many as 57 coaches are ready and available for use with the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMRL). The rolling stock has been built by Hyundai Rotem in Changwon, South Korea.Each train would initially have three coaches which each coach having a capacity to carry 330 people.Smart Card:A smart card has been launched for metro passengers. The card would also be used for other modes of transport in future. A mobile app called T Savari is also expected to operationalise.The Fare:L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd, the concessionaire, has fixed the minimum fare at Rs 10 for a distance of up to two kilometres. The maximum fare is Rs 60 for a distance of more than 26 kms.
Here are five things key points of about the project :Section of Phase 1 to be operational:Phase 1 of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project comprises of three sections — Miyapur to L B Nagar (29.87 km), Nagole to Shilparamam (26.51 km) and JBS to MGBS (10.06 km),Only the Miyapur-Nagole stretch will be inaugurated on Tuesday.Length of the entire system (including Phase 1 and Phase 2) upon completion is expected to be more than 169 kms. Once complete, Phase 1 will have 57 stations.The service:Twenty four metro stations would be opened now. The metro train services are scheduled to function from 6 am to 10 pm initially. The timings would be changed to 5.30 am to 11 pm later, depending on traffic and demand.As many as 57 coaches are ready and available for use with the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMRL). The rolling stock has been built by Hyundai Rotem in Changwon, South Korea.Each train would initially have three coaches which each coach having a capacity to carry 330 people.Smart Card:A smart card has been launched for metro passengers. The card would also be used for other modes of transport in future. A mobile app called T Savari is also expected to operationalise.The Fare:L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd, the concessionaire, has fixed the minimum fare at Rs 10 for a distance of up to two kilometres. The maximum fare is Rs 60 for a distance of more than 26 kms.
According to a study conducted by JNTU-Hyderabad in 2016, it takes 60 minutes to travel 13 kilometres in the city if there are no traffic jams and the average speed of vehicles is 12 kmph. Bad roads and traffic management is the reason for this. A more recent study by the traffic wing found that the average speed in the city has increased from 12 kmph to 20kmph after junctions were closed, U-turns introduced and barricades set up by L&T in the middle of the roads were removed following completion of the Metro Rail works.
According to a study conducted by JNTU-Hyderabad in 2016, it takes 60 minutes to travel 13 kilometres in the city if there are no traffic jams and the average speed of vehicles is 12 kmph. Bad roads and traffic management is the reason for this. A more recent study by the traffic wing found that the average speed in the city has increased from 12 kmph to 20kmph after junctions were closed, U-turns introduced and barricades set up by L&T in the middle of the roads were removed following completion of the Metro Rail works.
Mahametro managing director Brijesh Dixit said that the earlier state power generation company Mahagenco was to generate solar power for Nagpur Metro. “It was costing us Rs7.50 per unit and hence we decided to go for self generation in open access captive mode,” he added. Mahametro will tie up with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a central government undertaking, for solar generation. “We will go only for SECI registered companies. The current rate offered by SECI is Rs4.50 a unit. We have made it clear that we want power at less than this rate,” Dixit further said.
Mahametro managing director Brijesh Dixit said that the earlier state power generation company Mahagenco was to generate solar power for Nagpur Metro. “It was costing us Rs7.50 per unit and hence we decided to go for self generation in open access captive mode,” he added. Mahametro will tie up with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a central government undertaking, for solar generation. “We will go only for SECI registered companies. The current rate offered by SECI is Rs4.50 a unit. We have made it clear that we want power at less than this rate,” Dixit further said.
The first iron frame made for the construction of a concrete pillar lost its balance. To tackle this, a crane was called to hold the pillar. But it failed to lift the pillar and hence, it fell down. The collapse resulted in a huge traffic jam which was eventually managed by the traffic officials. “The cage was being placed on the foundation when something went wrong and it started tilting slowly. Within minutes, it collapsed on the road. It narrowly missed a passing autorickshaw carrying passengers. For 45 minutes, the road was not closed for traffic. Police from Dhantoli and Sitabuldi stations responded late,” TOI quoted an eyewitnesses.Talking about this incident, Mahesh Kumar, Director (Projects) of Mahametro said, “As soon as we realized the reinforcement cage was coming down, we stopped the traffic. All safety measures were taken. The cage was held by a hydra machine. Due to some reason, the hydra delivered a jerk to the cage and it lost its balance and started tilting towards the road. Our engineers immediately asked the people present to vacate the area and we blocked the road for traffic”.
The first iron frame made for the construction of a concrete pillar lost its balance. To tackle this, a crane was called to hold the pillar. But it failed to lift the pillar and hence, it fell down. The collapse resulted in a huge traffic jam which was eventually managed by the traffic officials. “The cage was being placed on the foundation when something went wrong and it started tilting slowly. Within minutes, it collapsed on the road. It narrowly missed a passing autorickshaw carrying passengers. For 45 minutes, the road was not closed for traffic. Police from Dhantoli and Sitabuldi stations responded late,” TOI quoted an eyewitnesses.Talking about this incident, Mahesh Kumar, Director (Projects) of Mahametro said, “As soon as we realized the reinforcement cage was coming down, we stopped the traffic. All safety measures were taken. The cage was held by a hydra machine. Due to some reason, the hydra delivered a jerk to the cage and it lost its balance and started tilting towards the road. Our engineers immediately asked the people present to vacate the area and we blocked the road for traffic”.
Thirty eight months after it had threatened to pull out of India’s largest metro rail project citing unfavourable business environment in Telangana, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) has sought compensation for the delay in handing over land parcels as per the concession agreement.The company has sought certain concessions as compensation for delays by government in providing continuous right of way (RoW) that affected the project’s viability. “We have agreed to time extension till November 2018 based on the report of independent engineers,” said NVS Reddy, managing director of Hyderabad Metro Rail, a Telangana government arm that oversees metro rail project’s implementation.“As regards the cost overruns and additional financial support, there are some disputes and correspondence is going on,” he said.
L&T, which is also building five grade-A retail malls under transit oriented development (TOD), is seeking concessions such as cheaper power, longer sub-lease rights on TOD, security costs at metro stations, compensation for delays and scope of change, along with time extension. The company is also exploring various nonfare revenue generating initiatives to turn the project, which suffered huge time and cost overruns, viable ahead of the targeted time frame for completion.The elevated metro rail project, for which a concession agreement was signed in September 2010, saw a cost overrun of nearly ₹4,000 crore, taking the project cost to more than ₹20,000 crore from ₹16,375 crore estimated earlier.The earlier estimated project cost, which included cost of rail system and TOD, was to be funded by a term loan of ₹11,478 crore, equity capital of ₹3,439 crore and viability gap fund of ₹1,458 crore from the government. “As there have been delays from the government’s side in providing continuous RoW, the company has applied to the government for interim extension of time of scheduled completion date up to November 2019, keeping in view the present progress of the project,” the L&T management told its shareholders in a latest communique, a copy of which was seen by ET. “Rigorous follow up is on with the state government for favourable resolution of the power, sub-lease, security, compensation for delays and scope change, time-extension and other issues pending with the government,” the L&T management said.
Thirty eight months after it had threatened to pull out of India’s largest metro rail project citing unfavourable business environment in Telangana, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) has sought compensation for the delay in handing over land parcels as per the concession agreement.The company has sought certain concessions as compensation for delays by government in providing continuous right of way (RoW) that affected the project’s viability. “We have agreed to time extension till November 2018 based on the report of independent engineers,” said NVS Reddy, managing director of Hyderabad Metro Rail, a Telangana government arm that oversees metro rail project’s implementation.“As regards the cost overruns and additional financial support, there are some disputes and correspondence is going on,” he said.
L&T, which is also building five grade-A retail malls under transit oriented development (TOD), is seeking concessions such as cheaper power, longer sub-lease rights on TOD, security costs at metro stations, compensation for delays and scope of change, along with time extension. The company is also exploring various nonfare revenue generating initiatives to turn the project, which suffered huge time and cost overruns, viable ahead of the targeted time frame for completion.The elevated metro rail project, for which a concession agreement was signed in September 2010, saw a cost overrun of nearly ₹4,000 crore, taking the project cost to more than ₹20,000 crore from ₹16,375 crore estimated earlier.The earlier estimated project cost, which included cost of rail system and TOD, was to be funded by a term loan of ₹11,478 crore, equity capital of ₹3,439 crore and viability gap fund of ₹1,458 crore from the government. “As there have been delays from the government’s side in providing continuous RoW, the company has applied to the government for interim extension of time of scheduled completion date up to November 2019, keeping in view the present progress of the project,” the L&T management told its shareholders in a latest communique, a copy of which was seen by ET. “Rigorous follow up is on with the state government for favourable resolution of the power, sub-lease, security, compensation for delays and scope change, time-extension and other issues pending with the government,” the L&T management said.
The KMRL would also utilise the existing racks located at Menaka (opposite Gateway Hotel), south railway station (Vivekananda road next to station entrance), north railway station (under the bridge) and Kaloor (opposite private bus stand, KK Road) as various spokes. “The commuters can leave the bicycles here. The cycles can be taken from any of the six stations or rack and returned to any desired rack or at the six stations. The commuter should ensure the bicycle is locked (number lock facility) after returning it. The number lock code will be provided via SMS,” the spokesperson said.The initiative is part of the efforts to develop non-motorised transportation (NMT) facilities and includes setting up of dedicated cycle tracks, pedestrian corridors and walkway-cum-recreational spaces. The KMRL had identified spaces for dedicated cycle corridor at different sections like M G Road, Boat Jetty, Panampilly Nagar, Kadavantra, CUSAT and Fort Kochi. To woo commuters to cycling, a point-system-based public bicycle sharing scheme is also being planned. The commuter will be given discount for metro train travel upon completing a particular level of hours.
The KMRL would also utilise the existing racks located at Menaka (opposite Gateway Hotel), south railway station (Vivekananda road next to station entrance), north railway station (under the bridge) and Kaloor (opposite private bus stand, KK Road) as various spokes. “The commuters can leave the bicycles here. The cycles can be taken from any of the six stations or rack and returned to any desired rack or at the six stations. The commuter should ensure the bicycle is locked (number lock facility) after returning it. The number lock code will be provided via SMS,” the spokesperson said.The initiative is part of the efforts to develop non-motorised transportation (NMT) facilities and includes setting up of dedicated cycle tracks, pedestrian corridors and walkway-cum-recreational spaces. The KMRL had identified spaces for dedicated cycle corridor at different sections like M G Road, Boat Jetty, Panampilly Nagar, Kadavantra, CUSAT and Fort Kochi. To woo commuters to cycling, a point-system-based public bicycle sharing scheme is also being planned. The commuter will be given discount for metro train travel upon completing a particular level of hours.
