Hyderabad’s newly launched common mobility pass, designed to enable seamless travel between the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) and Telangana Road Transport Corporation (TGRTC) services, has drawn sharp criticism from daily commuters almost immediately after its introduction. The initiative, touted as a major step toward integrated urban transport, has been accused of steep pricing and a design that fails to address the city’s broader mobility needs.
The pass, priced at roughly ₹4,000 per day or ₹8,500 per month, offers unlimited travel on HMR and TGRTC within the Outer Ring Road limits, excluding airport shuttles. A refundable deposit is required for a physical card, while a digital version is available through the Mee Ticket platform. Critics point out that the pass overlooks key components of Hyderabad’s public transport ecosystem, namely the Multi‑Modal Transport System (MMTS) operated by South Central Railway and the last‑mile connectivity provided by shared autos, shuttle services and other feeder modes. A rough calculation suggests that a commuter traveling end‑to‑end on HMR’s Red, Blue or Green lines, combined with routine bus and auto rides, could spend around ₹2,000–₹2,250 a day.
Commuters such as Ananth, Sirisha and Srinivas have voiced concerns that a truly integrated pass should cover the entire journey, including the often‑expensive final leg from a station or bus stop to home or work. They argue that a monthly pass should cost between ₹2,500 and ₹3,500 and include last‑mile connectivity, and that authorities should strengthen feeder buses and reorient RTC services to complement metro routes. Women commuters also question the pass’s appeal, given the free bus travel already available under the government’s Mahalakshmi scheme.
Senior officials, speaking anonymously, note that Hyderabad Metro already operates a smart‑card system and that the network could move toward broader interoperability. They highlight the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), a nationwide interoperable payment platform for public transport, which L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad has been testing across its three corridors. Officials admit that meaningful integration will remain difficult until the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) is empowered to coordinate policies across metro rail, buses, suburban rail services and feeder networks.
