Hyderabad: Motorists opt for alternative routes to stave off one-way system ordeal

Hyderabad: Motorists on Wednesday, the second day of the one-way traffic system around KBR Park, began skipping the designated routes, citing severe congestion and delays after witnessing the first day. Fearing a repeat of the chaos, several motorists opted for alternative routes instead of following the one-way system.

The traffic restrictions introduced by the Hyderabad traffic police on Tuesday resulted in bumper-to-bumper traffic on several stretches, with commuters saying journeys that normally take around 15 minutes stretched to 45–50 minutes. However, following the implementation, motorists continued to face severe delays as traffic moved at a crawl pace.

“On Tuesday, I was delayed in traffic for nearly 50 minutes for a route that usually takes just 15 minutes. I could not afford to get delayed again on Wednesday, so I avoided the one-way route,” said Shaik Nizam, a motorist.

The 5-kilometre stretch around KBR Park is an important link for commuters travelling towards areas such as Hitech City, Gachibowli, Film Nagar, Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills. Motorists travelling from Banjara Hills Road No 2 towards KBR Park experienced slow vehicle movement. This has also been witnessed near Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital. Also, surrounding areas also witnessed a slow vehicle movement.

With traffic movement being restricted to one direction on both sides of the stretch, several motorists continued to struggle to follow the route. Some commuters who missed traffic signs were seen attempting to change lanes or find alternative routes, adding to the congestion.

“People are not deliberately violating the traffic plan by changing lanes. They are trying to reach their destinations on time after seeing the congestion on the first day. The authorities need to address the bottlenecks before enforcing the system strictly,” said another commuter.

Moreover, the one-way system has also left residents living around KBR Park and adjoining localities among the worst affected. Citizens residing in the surrounding areas say their regular access routes have been disrupted, forcing them to take longer detours even for short-distance trips.

“We live just a few minutes from KBR Park, but after the one-way system was introduced, reaching our homes has become a major problem.

We have to take a long detour and spend much more time on the road due to one way,” said N Venkaiah, a resident of Jubilee Hills, near Lotus Pond.

“Residents were already facing traffic problems, but now the restrictions are affecting our daily commuting. School-going children are particularly inconvenienced because there are limited alternative routes,” said another resident.

As part of the one-way traffic, traffic police asked the vehicle drivers to follow the instructions - For those heading towards Road No. 45: It is advised that vehicle drivers heading towards Road No. 45 change lanes via the lane changer set up at ‘Journalist Colony Junction’. For those heading towards Madhapur via Jubilee Hills Checkpost: It is advised that vehicle drivers heading towards Madhapur via Jubilee Hills Checkpost change lanes via the lane changer set up at "Road No. 65 U-Turn."

Police advised the commuters to watch the awareness video, follow the lane markings and traffic signboards, and cooperate with the instructions of traffic police.

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