By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Amid the ongoing TSRTC strike in the State, the city has had only two other modes of public transport — Metro and MMTS — to tackle passenger rush through the week. The Metro’s failing services have added to the woes of commuters, with multiple technical malfunctions and infrastructural concerns making citizens wary of using it. Private cab aggregators, meanwhile, are taking advantage of the situation by spiking up prices during peak hours, with negligible availability of cars. Additionally, the second phase of MMTS services has still not been commenced; sources from the South Central Railways complain that the government is not willing to release funds. Meanwhile, Twitter has become a battlefield; while commuters have extended their support to the ongoing RTC strike, they have also taken to social media to complain about the lacklustre approach of fixing structural cracks at multiple Metro stations — which, in fact, had led to the death of a 26-year-old woman last month. While MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao ordered a thorough investigation, nothing was revealed at the ‘public hearing’ after the probe was completed by representatives from the Centre. Anumandla Sirisha, a frequent Metro commuter, said, “After multiple news reports of cracks being spotted at stations, it has become a nightmare to travel in the Metro. But, we do not really have a choice, with the ongoing RTC bus strike. To top it off, in the last week, the Metro train yet again experienced a technical glitch as the electrical system malfunctioned. This delayed our train and increased crowds at all subsequent stations. Such technical glitches have been happening often, especially during heavy rains.” Officials from the HMRL were unavailable for comment. Another youngster from the city, Flint Eastwood Thomas, pointed out that without the buses, the MMTS line was of not much help. “The MMTS is a linear line that connects only some hotspots of the city, from where we have to take buses again. So, our only option is the Metro, which is so crowded that we can barely catch our breath.” Residents of Bolarum and Secunderabad have been complaining about the delay in commissioning of MMTS Phase II for the past year. A well-placed source from South Central Railway handed the State government the baton and said, “The SCR and State government were supposed to pay for Phase II. However, the SCR has paid more than its share and is now waiting for funding from the State.”

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