Traffic police irked over hitchhiking at PVNR Expressway

Traffic police irked over hitchhiking at PVNR Expressway
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As the day ends, hitchhikers travelling to Shamshabad are seen crowding at the entry point of PV Narasimha Rao Expressway from Mehdipatnam side. Most of the hitchhikers commute regularly on this route which saves immense amounts of time and money.   

Mehdipatnam: As the day ends, hitchhikers travelling to Shamshabad are seen crowding at the entry point of PV Narasimha Rao Expressway from Mehdipatnam side. Most of the hitchhikers commute regularly on this route which saves immense amounts of time and money.

However, seeking free rides standing on roads in the night time leads to severe traffic issues and potential threat to the drivers and hitchhikers alike. As they stand at the entry point of the Expressway bridge and wave their thumb, the vehicles entering PVNR accelerate hard and try to avoid people coming in front of cars seeking lifts.
The Elevated Expressway is 11.6 kms long and it takes about 10-12 minutes to reach the other side.

Whereas, the journey underneath the bridge to the same destination takes about 40 minutes due to traffic and numerous signal points. Entry for two wheelers, three wheelers and heavy loaded goods vehicles are strictly prohibited on the Expressway.
This makes a short cut route for commuters who can save time, and money if they get a free lift. Many cab drivers travelling alone halt to take passengers for a very nominal fee.

Though illegal, but it is beneficial to both hitchhikers and cab drivers.
“I travel from Shamshabad to Lakdi-Ka-Pul every day and there are very poor bus services on this road, especially during evening, the traffic also is very hectic at Mehdipatnam, Ring Road, Attapur and Hyderguda. To save time and money I board a sharing cab from the Expressway or hitchhike,” said a salesman Rishab.

“Nobody walks near the bridge in the day time but as the day falls people start gathering on the bridge for hitchhiking especially between 8 and 10 pm,” lamented an optical store owner. Uber cab driver Rakesh said, “The Expressway is like a highway clean and aligned which makes journey quick and efficient.”

Station House officer (SHO) of Asif Nagar Saidulu Goud said, to prevent accidents and traffic choking near the bridge “No standing and no stopping” rules were made and sign boards were kept at the entry and exit points of PVNR Expressway.

However, the rule being violated in the absence of cops. Anyone found violating the rules are being charged for parking vehicles at unauthorised spaces. This has led to significant reduction of stopping of cabs, but it still persists in the absence of cops which is indeed a big trouble for traffic during the late evening hours.”

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