Hyderabad: Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited witnessed a record footfall on New Year’s Eve, with 4.6 lakh passengers travelling till 2 am on Wednesday. According to the metro authorities, this was about 40,000 passenger trips more than the usual. On a normal day the footfall ranges between 4.10 lakh and 4.20 lakh. A whopping 2,68,900 commuters travelled on the Miyapur-LB Nagar route and 1,93,366 passengers travelled on the Nagole-Raidurg stretch on Tuesday night.
HMRL managing director N.V.S. Reddy said there were “about 4.60 lakh passenger trips on Tuesday (including up to 2 am on Wednesday morning). This is about 40k passenger trips more than on normal days when the average passenger trips are in the range of 4.10 to 4.20 lakh. “Passenger trips” is the new method of calculation prescribed by the Government of India.
He said that HMRL had made special arrangements for safe travel on New Year’s Eve. The last train at terminal stations left at 1 am and reached its destination slightly before 2 am. Mr Reddy said people who consumed alcohol were allowed to travel with a caution that they should behave soberly and not create a nuisance for co-passengers. He said instructions were given to the metro staff for the safety of passengers.
Ameerpet has witnessed a significant rise in footfall (over 2 lakh daily) as people use the Metro Rail to travel to this hub to shop, dine, etc. This count has not been captured in data as many shops and restaurants in Ameerpet happen to be located in the “unpaid” area of the station.
“The case with Miyapur, LB Nagar, and several other stations is pretty much the same now. Metro stations are indeed becoming popular commercial hubs. A lot more is in the offing,” said a senior HMRL official.
He said that the traffic restrictions and special campaigns by the police to discourage drinking and driving have contributed to the increased metro footfall.
