Hyderabad | Seven key congestion hotspots identified; Efforts for smoother roads in works

Data from the city traffic police reveals that the average speed of a commuter in Hyderabad has dropped to 18 km per hour from 22 kmph recorded in January

If there is one hot topic for conversation in Hyderabad, it is about the increasing traffic and how the congestion has only worsened over the past few months. The city streets are now choked with vehicles, causing significant delays for commuters and impacting the overall quality of life. The city’s seven major congestion points and 18 congested corridors are major contributors to this problem.

Data from the city traffic police reveals that the average speed of a commuter in Hyderabad has dropped to 18 km per hour from 22 kmph recorded in January. This, however, is an improvement from the 15-18 kmph range recorded in the year 2023, reflecting on the reforms taken by the traffic police in the past ten months, said Additional Commissioner (Traffic) P. Viswa Prasad.

Maximum traffic congestion on Thursdays and Fridays

The weekly analysis of Hyderabad’s roads over the current year has revealed some interesting and alarming trends. On Thursdays and Fridays, the State capital sees the maximum traffic congestion, with two major peaks at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. This could be attributed partially to the ‘work from office’ traffic to and from the IT capital Cyberabad.

Hyderabadis like to take it easy on Saturdays. “The congestion on this day starts peaking an hour later around 11 a.m. and continuously grows till the mid-day. In the evening, the congestion peaks beyond 8 p.m. and even after 10 p.m in select areas,” explained Mr. Prasad.

The stretch from Yashoda Hospital in Malakpet to the Chaderghat signal has only worsened over the years, sighed T. Pavan, a resident of Saidabad. “The road is narrow and we have a railway bridge too. I prefer using the Old City road via Chanchalguda jail, which of course adds a few minutes to my trip to Hitec City, to avoid this hassle,” he said.

Jignesh Trivedi, a resident of Sikh Village, suggests taking the Tivoli road and a U-turn towards Begumpet to avoid Paradise junction. “That junction is a nightmare during peak hours. commuters stop at least twice between Balamari till the signal, which is roughly half a kilometre stretch. Thrice on you have to rush to the office,” he quipped.

A resident of Sun City Bandlaguda, Chris Adams said that he stays back near the office to avoid the evening rush near Nanal Nagar junction. “It takes me easily 30 minutes or more to cross the place and reach home from Lakdikapul. Being stuck in traffic for long is bad for my lower back,” he said.

Seven congestion hotspots in Hyderabad

The Hyderabad traffic police have identified seven key congestion hotspots including KBR National Park, Charminar, Chaderghat, SP Road near Begumpet, MJ Market – Nampally T-junction, Masab Tank – Virinchi Hospital and Mehdipatnam – Nanal Nagar. Apart from these, the police have also identified 18 congestion corridors. In East Hyderabad, the situation is equally bad at the MJ market stretch where two roads are merging, added the police.

Measures to address the issue

Traffic signal cycle optimisation, synchronisation of signals at adjoining junctions, junction and footpath improvement and road marking work in coordination with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), addition of reversible (or additional) lanes for congested areas and zero tolerance for carriage obstruction and illegal parking are among the immediate measures the Hyderabad police is taking up to deal with the traffic congestion.

Interestingly, reversible lanes have been added in Begumpet and Bapu Ghat and work will be taken up soon at the stretch between Ajanta Gate of Exhibition Ground to Commercial Tax Building.

Meanwhile, the traffic police is in the middle of revamping the Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) into a simpler, more effective model for real-time congestion monitoring, dynamic traveller information (public alerts) and traffic routing by the use of artificial intelligence.

“The existing system, though helpful, has not been able to achieve the desired results. In the next 2-3 months, we aim to come up with a simpler model which can track and guide as per the real-time conditions on the roads. A significant part of it will also be real-time routing and signal management for emergency services like ambulances,” Mr. Prasad explained.

Installation of additional traffic signals, traffic staff capacity building, driver awareness programmes and improved road infrastructure are other focus areas for the traffic police, which will be taken up in the upcoming joint meeting with the Hyderabad Commissioner of Police, Traffic and Transportation Division of the GHMC, traffic police heads of Hyderabad, Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), the official further explained.

Published - November 18, 2024 02:47 pm IST