Civil society questions Telangana’s Metro takeover plan, seeks focus on buses and MMTS
Civil society organisations have questioned Telangana government’s proposed Hyderabad Metro takeover from L&T, raising concerns over financial viability and passenger benefits. They urged greater investment in city buses and MMTS, while officials defended Metro expansion citing long-term transport needs.
Hyderabad: Civil society organisations have questioned the Telangana government’s priorities in strengthening public transport in Hyderabad, citing concerns over expenditure and passenger benefits.
The questions come in the wake of the State government’s move to takeover the Hyderabad Metro Rail from L&T. While the government has cited multiple reasons for the proposed takeover, civil society groups have raised concerns about its financial viability and the burden it could place on Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL). They argue that the government should instead focus on strengthening alternative public transport systems such as city buses and the Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS).
“If the State government is prepared to takeover the Metro by spending about Rs.15,000 crore, why can’t it absorb losses incurred in operating city buses?” asked D Narasimha Reddy of Citizens for Better Public Transport.
He noted that when the Metro project was announced in 2006, officials projected a daily ridership of nearly 16 lakh passengers. However, in 2026 Hyderabad Metro currently handles around 4.5 lakh passengers a day despite substantial investments and the allocation of prime land parcels. He also pointed out that Metro fares are significantly higher than those of city buses and MMTS services.
Echoing similar concerns, M Srinivas of Urban Development Forum said cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai operate nearly 7,000 city buses each, while Hyderabad has only about 2,500 buses in service. Though the government recently announced the addition of 50 electric buses to the fleet, he said the increase remains inadequate to meet the city’s growing transport needs.
He further alleged that the government had failed to provide sufficient feeder bus services to MMTS stations, affecting last-mile connectivity and limiting passenger patronage. According to him, the State government should work closely with the South Central Railway (SCR) to improve MMTS operations, ensure punctuality and strengthen connectivity to railway stations.
“As the State government is prepared to spend thousands of crores on the Metro, it should also be willing to invest a few hundred crores in city bus and MMTS services,” Srinivas said.
However, officials defended the government’s plans to expand Metro services in the city. They argued that Metro rail cannot be directly compared with buses and other modes of public transport.
Increasing the number of city buses, they said, could add to traffic congestion and place greater pressure on existing road infrastructure. They also noted that strengthening MMTS services requires extensive coordination with the SCR due to multiple decision bodies.
