Hyderabad: Retail spaces within Metro Rail stations, malls adjoining the stations, and other transit-related amenities will not be launched along with the service in November; they will become operational at a later date.
The total transit-oriented development (TOD) that has been planned as part of the project covers 18.5 million square feet, of which 6 million square feet is in the areas adjoining the Metro Rail stations.
The 64 stations along the 72 km of Metro Rail will have retail spaces and hospitality and healthcare units, including pharmacies, within their premises.
Metro Rail services to 24 of these stations will be launched at the end of November. Although spaces have been earmarked for these amenities, they have yet to be developed.
A senior officer said, “Retail spaces in the stations are to be called Hyderabad Next. Opportunities will be provided according to people’s needs, and they will bring about a change in the commuters’ lifestyle. Those who are live in Secunderabad but work in Hitec City will be able to buy groceries, food, stationery, and medicines, as well as recharge their mobile phones within the station.”
Stations have been categorised as typical, special and interchanging. Of the 64 stations, 54 are typical, where pharmacies, gift shops, mobile recharge stores, laundries, bookstores, convenience stores, and stationery and photocopying stores will be available.
Special stations at Hitec City, Punjagutta, Raidurgam and Begumpet will have food courts, supermarkets and entertainment zones in addition to the amenities available at typical stations.
Interchanging stations at Ameerpet, Parade Grounds and MGBS will have large food courts, supermarkets, entertainment zones, florists, retail spaces and electronics stores where mobile phones, accessories and computer peripherals will be available.
Each station will also have an ATM kiosk, a vending machine for soft drinks and water, and public toilets.
Apart from this, malls will be developed at Panjagutta, Erraggada, Putlibowli and Ameerpet. These will be commissioned at a later date.
A senior officer said “Our objective is to get the trains started so that travel patterns can be studied and the public response to the Metro rail can be evaluated. Our priority is to develop the retail space within the station area. The other larger spaces will be launched as and when they are developed.”
The development of retail spaces under Hyde-rabad Next was taken up in 2015. Operation along the first eight km of the Metro Rail, till Mettuguda, was to have been launched in 2016. But with the delay in the launch of services, the allotment of retail spaces was delayed.
A senior officer said, “We have a pharmacy chain that is willing to set up a store in each of the 64 stations. We will wait for the appropriate time and execute that plan. There are food chains and supermarkets that have expressed an interest in setting up outlets. It will all fall into place once the trains start moving.”
