MMTS projects chug slowly ahead

HYDERABAD: The widened roads and flyovers in the city are clearly proving inadequate to accommodate the increasing number of vehicles on the road.
Traffic jams are a regular feature at all key junctions, with a concomitant increase in both air and noise pollution.
The Multi-modal Transport System (MMTS) project, a suburban commuter transportation network,which was initiated in March 2002 as an solution to the city’s traffic problem is only half way through.The first phase of the project was expected to be over by March 2003.
As per the plan, the first phase of the project, taken up at a cost of Rs 160 crore, involved connecting Lingampally to Hyderabad and Secunderabad to Falaknuma, with as many as 18 trains running every half an hour touching 26 stations. The trains will run on a stretch of 43 kms. However, as of now, only eight trains are running and many stations are yet to come up. Even the plan to develop all railway stations, relocate bus bays and reroute AP State Road Transport Corporation buses to link them with the trains is still in the initial stages.
In the second phase, MMTS will be linked to satellite centres around the city. While in phase-III, which is a long-term plan, elevated or underground system will be developed for commuting in the city.
Even though the MMTS service started about six months ago the initial flow of an average of 13,000 passengers per day remains static. The number of passengers travelling by MMTS hasn’t increased, a senior South Central Railway official said.
The project had envisaged to transport at least two lakh passengers daily after the completion of the phase-I, he added. Each train can carry as many as 2,500 people. About 600 passengers can sit,while 1900 passengers can travel standing at a time, the official said.
Though passengers using the MMTS facility are a satisfied lot, as a survey by consultants ‘LT Ramboll’ found out, the delay in execution of the project has taken the sheen out of the project, the official said. “The facilities in the trains are wonderful but the problem is the lack of proper frequency,� E Nirmala of KPHB colony said. There is also no approach road to the railway station at Hi-Tec City, she added.
Snail’s pace
The MMTS project was taken up as a solution to the city’s traffic problems
However, the pace at which the project is being executed is very slow
On an average 13,000 passengers use the system daily; this figure has remained static