The Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR), which has just opened the Hi-Tec City Corridor, is targeting to carry 10 lakh passengers a day in the next two years from the 2.33 lakh passengers now.

The HMR officials are confident of completing the last leg of the route connecting the Jubilee Bus Station in Secunderabad with the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station in the Old City by November.

Addressing a conference on infrastructure organised by the Hyderabad Software Exporters’ Association (HYSEA) here on Thursday, HMR Managing Director NVS Reddy said the Metro had carried 5.20 crore passengers so far since its launch.

He said the government is building shopping and entertainment infrastructure around the Metro stations to help passengers cut down on the time they spend on the roads.

He said works on the 30-km Metro stretch connecting the IT hub areas with the international airport would begin later this year.

“It would change the way people commute to their work place. They can reach the airport in just 20 minutes,” he said.

“We proved sceptics wrong by making a novel public-private partnership to build the Metro a success. The financial burden on the State government is very low,” he said.

Karuna Gopal, President of Foundation for Futuristic Cities, said urban areas needed both soft and hard infrastructure. “You need to have soft infrastructure that ensures friendly governance. You need to negotiate with the States to meet the housing targets,” she said.