As the man behind the world’s largest elevated metro rail project in public-private partnership mode, NVS Reddy, managing director, Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited, tells TOI that Indian cities should avoid fashionable metros in small cities:
Many Indian cities are opting for metro rail projects. Is metro rail the answer?
Metro is not the only solution but has become a fashion statement – every city wants it. Unfortunately, even very small cities are opting for it. Jaipur, Nagpur, Kochi have metro with hardly 20,000 passengers per day. In UP, six cities are building metros. But metro rail is basically meant only for cities with over 50 lakh population where there is no other option. No metro project in the world is financially viable. There are about 250 rail-based mass rapid transit systems in the world but they all need to be heavily subsidised. Only 50% of the revenues come from passenger fare and the rest from property exploitation and advertising.
Many Indian cities are opting for metro rail projects. Is metro rail the answer?
Metro is not the only solution but has become a fashion statement – every city wants it. Unfortunately, even very small cities are opting for it. Jaipur, Nagpur, Kochi have metro with hardly 20,000 passengers per day. In UP, six cities are building metros. But metro rail is basically meant only for cities with over 50 lakh population where there is no other option. No metro project in the world is financially viable. There are about 250 rail-based mass rapid transit systems in the world but they all need to be heavily subsidised. Only 50% of the revenues come from passenger fare and the rest from property exploitation and advertising.