Hyderabad: Hyderabad Metro Rail is likely to halt its service until the state government lifts lockdown in Telangana as it is witnessing a huge drop in daily footfall.
According to a report published in New Indian Express, during the first two days of the lockdown in the state, the Hyderabad Metro Rail has witnessed a footfall of only 4000 per day. COVID-19 pandemic coupled with lockdown has reduced the footfall enormously which used to be between 80 thousand and 1 lakh per day.
Due to a 10-day lockdown imposed in Telangana to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Hyderabad Metro Rail has reduced its service timing. Now the trains are plying only between 7 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. as the lockdown comes into force at 10 a.m. and continues till 6 a.m. the next morning.
Earlier, during the night curfew in the state, Hyderabad Metro Rail had curtailed its services.
Pandemic and restriction to curb the spread of the virus have resulted in huge losses for Hyderabad Metro Rail and Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC).
During Pre-COVID times, these two were the most commonly used public transportation in the city. They were not only popular among students but also among working professionals.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything. Now, the revenue of these two modes of transportation has dropped enormously due to drop in footfall.