Cheap fares draw people to Hyderabad Metro to visit Numaish

Hundreds of families that looked forward to the 46-day shopping fiesta had to refuel their vehicles and remain stuck for hours together due to tailbacks. Hefty fares of cabs and auto-rickshaws miffed many.

Hyderabad: Nightmare traffic jams, overfull parking lots, and rapacious auto wallahs – Hyderabadis had to put up with a whole lot to explore the All India Industrial Exhibition at Nampally for one time.

Hundreds of families that looked forward to the 46-day shopping fiesta had to refuel their vehicles and remain stuck for hours together due to tailbacks. Hefty fares of cabs and auto-rickshaws miffed many.

Nevertheless, Hyderabad Metro transformed how people used to go to Numaish. With a fare that would easily be two or even three times cheaper than auto and cab rides, people are travelling comfortably to the expo by metro.

Scores of passengers who board the train these days at different stations have a common destination – Gandhi Bhavan that is just a stone’s throw away from the exhibition. And, a rush inside is not much-bothering passengers since a hassle-free travel experience is all they’re looking for.

“I’m visiting Numaish since I was a kid. It used to easily take at least one and a half hours to reach. There were times when I skipped visiting the exhibition fearing horrible traffic. We couldn’t afford auto or cab fare and even finding one was a hassle. Metro came as a blessing and for the last five years, I’ve been going to Numaish by metro,” said Radhika, a city resident.

The traffic has been cut down to some extent, says a traffic cop, who was on duty outside the exhibition. “It takes not more than five minutes to walk from the station to Numaish. People coming by private vehicles has decreased. This year, I noticed more and more people choosing the metro.”

For the benefit of people visiting Numaish, Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) has even announced the extension of train services on the red line (L.B. Nagar to Miyapur) and the blue line (Nagole to Raidurg).

The last train is starting from respective terminal stations at 12 midnight and reaches the final destinations by about 1 am.

Ticket booking counters at the Gandhi Bhavan metro station have also been increased from four to six to deal with the rush.