Bottlenecks may hinder free traffic flow

By Marri Ramu

HYDERABAD, JULY 19. With just three days left for introduction of one-way movement of traffic between Dar-ul-Shifa and Charminar via Bibika Bazar, the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad has stepped up efforts to widen the roads on this route.

The widened portions are also being recarpeted. However, this measure alone may not ensure a free flow of uni-directional traffic as there are too many bottlenecks which may hinder free traffic movement. A lot needs to be done to facilitate free movement of heavy vehicles to pass through this route from Monday. The route is being made one-way as a part of the plan to pedestrianise the area around Charminar. Consequently, there will be one-way movement of traffic from Charminar towards Madina.

Though the MCH took up demolitions for road-widening, much needs to be done on the Dar-ul-Shifa route. For example, after the Princess Esins High School building, there are several buildings on both sides of the road which are supposed to be brought down to widen the road. Syed Abidi, a resident of Kotla Alija, says most of the buildings are not touched as the owners moved the court for a higher compensation.

Though the width of this three km road stretch is 80 feet, at some places like Kotla Alija junction and near Akbar Function Palace it narrows down to 40 ft. Adding to this is a religious construction in the centre of the road near Miralam Mandi and there are several buildings protruding onto the road making it difficult for vehicles to pass through easily.

Just a breakdown of a heavy vehicle on the road would surely paralyse the entire traffic flow and to compound the problem there are no parallel roads for diverting the traffic in such an event. If at all a diversion is to be done, it should be towards Charminar via the MCH office road which would defeat the very purpose of diversion of traffic.

The other way-out is either to direct vehicles from left side through Talabkatta road or from right side at Sultanshahi corner near Volta Hotel. It would be impracticable to divert traffic through any of these two routes because both the roads are too narrow. A considerable portion of the current traffic flowing through this route constitutes non-motorised traffic such as bullock-carts and cyclerickshaws.

Heavy vehicles carrying vegetables to and from Miralam Mandi and APSRTC buses to districts also pass through this route and such a movement could further bring down the movement of vehicles. A large number of educational institutions, including a junior college and a degree college, as well as a hospital are located on this road.

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Section  : Southern States
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