HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy instructed officials to speed up pre-construction activities of the proposed Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) in a parallel processing mode and start construction activity by this year-end to ensure that the first section is opened by December 2008.

At the same time, Dr. Reddy also emphasised the need to increase patronage for the existing Multi-Mode Transit System (MMTS) by increasing the frequency of trains and providing feeder bus services.

The Chief Minister reviewed the functioning of MMTS and the status of MRTS project with officials of Municipal Administration, Railways, RTC and Finance Departments here on Thursday, a press release said.

Investors meet

Dr. Reddy was informed about the MRTS project time frame and that the detailed project reports to firm up the costs and financial returns for MRTS would be completed by June 10. It would be sent for Cabinet approval by June-end.

Pre-qualified investors meet would be held on June 15 and preparation of technical and financial bid documents would be completed and sent to the Central Government by June 30 for viability gap funding. A separate company, Hyderabad Metro Rail Corporation, is to be formed in first week of August.

Simultaneously, identification and earmarking of Government lands for stations, depots, workshops, etc., would be done by July-end. Financial bids are to be evaluated by October 20 and opened on first week of November. Foundation stone for MRTS is to be laid in the last week of December 2006.

Regarding MMTS, the Chief Minister was told that some 40,000 passengers were utilizing the 64 services run every day. It can easily go up to 1 lakh if the originally envisaged 314 MMTS trains are run and the frequency maintained every 15 to 20 minutes.

Senior railway officials explained that there were severe capacity constraints in Secunderabad railway station yard and on the MMTS routes because of the movement of goods and long passenger trains. Therefore, they were unable to increase the frequency and number of MMTS trains.

Dr. Reddy asked them to come up with plans to increase the capacity of existing railway lines and reduce traffic congestion as an immediate measure. Bus services to different MMTS stations should also be improved.

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