Hyderabad: Top British leaders Tony Blair and David Cameron did it, leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn did it, so did President of France Francois Holland and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel. Joining this distinguished list is Industries and Commerce Principal Secretary, Jayesh Ranjan. We are talking of travelling on the Metro.
While the world leaders did it to connect with the people because they find them (the leaders) approachable and feel the pulse of the people, Mr Ranjan’s reasons are a bit more practical, but nevertheless an example to be followed.
As Hyderabad struggles with traffic woes, in a bid to avoid traffic, this IAS officer took the Metro to reach the venue of an event in Habsiguda. He boarded the train at the Begumpet station and returned the same way. The secretary commutes on the Metro whenever he has to attend conferences or meetings along the metro corridor.
He had earlier used the Metro to reach Uppal stadium for a cricket match and once for a conference. He used the automatic ticket vending machine to purchase the ticket and preferred to maintain a low profile while travelling, as he did not want to create a hype. He was travelling alone and moved around without any security detail.
Although, some of the commuters recognised him and came upto him to have a quick chat. Others found his face familiar but scratched their head trying to place him.
Not surprisingly, because it is rare in India to see bureaucrats using public transport.
And for those who are cynical that he is doing it for effect here is what he has to say. Speaking to this newspaper Mr Ranjan said, “The traffic on one side of the road is clear while the other side is jam packed. To avoid it, I use the Metro to commute. I have travelled thrice on the Metro and I am waiting for the other corridor to be opened so that I can commute to the Secretariat, where I work, daily.”
Taking the call given by Mr K. T. Rama Rao to use public transport to commute seriously, Mr Ranjan is practising it. However, to address his last mile connectivity issue, the organisers of the event provided him with a car.
He hoped that with increasing last mile connectivity options, more people would embrace the Metro and other modes of public transport.
The Ameerpet to L B Nagar corridor is likely to commence operations by September. HMRL submitted the application last week to the commissioner of Metro Railway Safety to inspect the line.
Ameerpet to L B Nagar line passes through Panjagutta, Irrum manzil, Khairatabad, Lakdikapul, Assembly, Nampally, Gandhi Bhavan, OMC, MGBS, Malakpet, Musharambagh, Dilshuknagar, Chaitanyapuri and Victoria memorial.
Meanwhile, the Ameerpet to Hitec city line is expected to be functional from November.
