Hyderabad: College students, office goers, businessmen and women are most likely to use the Metro Rail to travel along the Nagole Ameerpet and Ameerpet Miyapur stretches.

According to an initial assessment, motorists and car owners are unlikely to switch over to the metro. The services will be used by those who currently rely on other modes of public transport such as buses auto-rickshaws and cabs.

A senior official of Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited said, “The frequency of trains will be decided based on the passenger load. Within the first two months we will be able to assess the demographics of people using these routes. Those who want to travel to distant locations such as Hitec City or the Secretariat will not switch now. These passengers will come in later, once the metro project is completed.”

Though the government claims that the Metro Rail will help decongest roads, these effects may be seen only later, depending on the convenience that it offers to travellers.

A senior official, on condition of anonymity, said, “Only those who have work close to the stations on the present 30 km route will opt for the the Metro. If a person has to travel by metro and then use another mode of transport to get to his destination, then he is unlikely to switch over to the use of the Metro until end-to-end services are developed.”

Citizens fear that they will be forced to use auto-rickshaws to get from Metro stations to their destinations and that they will be fleeced by rickshaw drivers. This will be one of the biggest challenges for the Metro Rail authorities to overcome. Senior officers insist that end-to-end connectivity facilities must be developed on a priority basis along the stretch that has been completed.