ON THE TRACK OF HOPE DESPITE INNUMERABLE HICCUPS: Though there has been a marked disinclination to improve its services, MMTS trains continue to attract commuters. - PHOTO: P.V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD: It is an irony of sorts. Even as the blue and white paint is peeling off coaches of the Multi-Modal Transit System (MMTS), patronage and financial earnings have shown a slow yet steady rise since the system's inception in August 2003.

Running 74 services on two main routes, patronage to MMTS has increased to 40,000 and earnings to Rs.1.60 lakhs a day. This despite services being curtailed and run with very low frequency from half-hour to one hour and more during peak hours and no services at all in the remaining time.

Yet, the main stakeholders for MMTS, the Indian Railways and the State Government, have shown a marked disinclination to take any steps. All major recommendations to improve the services are yet to be implemented.

Proposals ignored

Distinct lack of coordination between the two continue to dog the system and the delay of formation of a special purpose vehicle which would help to run MMTS better got stuck with the Railway Ministry.

So also were proposals for increasing frequency of trains and introducing common bus-rail tickets. The Railway Ministry ignored MMTS for the second successive year in its budget while State Government too reduced allocation from Rs. 26 crores to just Rs. 5 crores this year.

"The Government is serious about MMTS. We could not spend the money allocated last year because of lack of matching response from Railways for improving and expanding the services. There is no budget cut as such," insist MMTS officials.

The Railways has been systematically curtailing operations in reducing coaches and withdrawing 10 services citing `poor patronage' without even a word to the Government despite it having invested Rs. 89 crores for first phase.

Phase one covered 43 km of Secunderabad-Hyderabad-Lingampalli (28 km) and Secunderabad-Falaknuma (15 km) at a cost of Rs.178 crores. The fate of phase two connecting Secunderabad-Medchal (28 km), Falaknuma-Shamshabad (20 km) and Secunderabad-Ghatkesar (19 km) hangs in balance though the Government was ready to invest Rs.217 crores -- two-thirds of the total cost. In addition, it has also proposed to link Moulali-Sanatnagar (21km), Moulali-Kacheguda (10 km) and Telapur-Patancheru (8 km). "Railways has a few genuine problems, which can be sorted out with better signalling, a proper yard and bypass line," says an official.

`YSR must intervene'

Railways has been claiming operating loss of Rs. 15 crores per year for running MMTS but the methodology by which the figure was calculated has been contested by the Government.

Government too should take the blame for delaying service roads to stations, lack of feeder services and publicity. "MMTS at full capacity can carry 1.5 lakh passengers a day. It can break even with one lakh passengers and that will happen when frequency is increased to every five minutes and better connectivity is ensured," says the official.

When the Chief Minister can convince the Centre to fund the proposed Mass Rapid Transit System substantially, he can do the same for MMTS as his Government has promised to develop it as part of the Action Plan on Traffic submitted to the High Court, say transport experts. In fact, MRTS and MMTS can be integrated.

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