Hyderabad: Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) has proposed to the government to levy Rs 1 per ticket to raise money to meet the cost of security at the Metro Rail premises for the present. According to a proposal that was submitted to the government, HMRL stated that it would try to work out a ‘pass through’ mechanism with the concurrence of the concessionaire L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Limited to meet the cost of security.
HMRL officials had insisted that the government bear the cost of security as the 72-km service passes through the police commissionerates in the city. But since this will be a recurring expense, it was thought that making a marginal adjustment with the concessionaire in the ticketing procedure would help.
A senior HMRL official said, “This was our earlier proposal sent to the government. But for now, the HMRL has issued tenders for security and there is no question of taking it from the ticket charges. The complete security apparatus will take a year to be fully developed and the methods are going to be further revised. Only the immediate requirement on the 30-km stretch for now is being provided for.” The official said that the government was going to discuss the issue and work out a proper strategy to ensure that the security apparatus is not compromised.
The local police stations will be looking into the overall law and order issues. The Metro Rail police and security officials will look into the safety aspects of passengers, protection of Metro Rail premises and properties, and ensuring smooth movement of commuters in and out of the premises. Once parking facilities and retail developments take place, the security net will be widened to cover those aspects.
