Date:25/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/25/stories/2006082523950300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Commuters suffer as protests hold up traffic

Staff Reporter

Row of vehicles stretches 3-km towards Khairatabad Serpentine lines of vehicles stretch to over 3 km towards Khairatabad and Somajiguda. Main thoroughfares jammed

HYDERABAD: Commuters had a harrowing time on Thursday with about 7,000 contract workers of APTransco staging a dharna at Transco Bhavan in Somajiguda and clogging the road for over two hours.

The `rasta roko' by Telangana Rashtra Samithi leaders near Assembly further choked the traffic, bringing the movement of traffic to a grinding halt in the heart of the city.

Serpentine lines of vehicles stretched to over 3 km length towards Khairatabad and Somajiguda.

All the main thoroughfares, be it at Hyderguda, Basheerbagh, Tank Bund or Ameerpet and Banjara Hills, not to forget the lanes and bylanes, were teeming with vehicles

No control

"The traffic police failed to prevent the workers from obstructing the traffic at Khairatabad. I waited for over an hour to get out of this hell as the police lathicharged the crowd. I had a very important meeting with a client and got delayed," said Shaheed Siddiqui who was trapped in the traffic muddle.

As a result of the dharna, the traffic at the feeder roads connecting Somajiguda with Raj Bhavan also were blocked with commuters vying with each other to get out of the situation.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anil Kumar said, "We tried our best to ease the traffic on Thursday morning. The workers were pretty charged up and it took time for the traffic to clear. Ditto with the TRS leaders' protest which threw the traffic haywire."