Hyderabad: A chaos called Mehdipatnam-Tolichowki stretch

Hyderabad: One the most busiest stretches in the city Mehdipatnam - Shaikpet via Tolichowki has been witnessing heavy traffic snarls as the proposal of the 110 feet road development in Tolichowki by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation's (GHMC) Khairtabad circle Town Planning wing is still pending with the authorities for budget allocation. Consequently, both the sides of the road are clogged with vehicles, pedestrians, and sellers resulting in chaos while making it difficult for scores of commuters to travel on the stretch.

Its a nightmare for commuters to travel on the stretch due to traffic gridlocks. Though only about half of the IT companies have started operations from their office campuses, the stretch to the IT corridor is experiencing bumper-to-bumper traffic.

"The traffic is so chaotic that the police also usually struggle a lot to regulate normal vehicular movement," said Mohammed Shahid Ali, a daily commuter. Adding to the fuel of trafficgridlocks is the haphazard parking of vehicles on the main roads outside marriage halls and hotels.

In absence of appropriate parking space for vehicles, most of the shoppers and those visiting offices and banks are seen leaving their vehicles on the road edges, interrupting the free flow of traffic.Traffic jams continue to haunt commuters even after having two flyovers one at Tolichowki and Shaikpet for them to ply.

Mohammed Kareem, a resident of Golconda, who is a regular commuter from Tolichowki to Abids said, "Though the stretch from Mehdipatnam-Tolichowki shouldnot take more than 10-15 minutes, it takes me more than half an hour to cross the stretch because of narrow roads and vehicles parked on roads." Other two major reasons are Mehdipatnam bus stop which operates a number of buses and sharing autos. "At times, even standing on the bus bay seems scary as the buses are stopped very rashly and the shrieking auto drivers increase traffic," said Radhika, an intermediate student from St Anns Junior College.

Despite immense difficulties for the public, the proposed road development projects in the master plan 2021 by the civic authorities still await nod.

Karwan MLA Kausar Mohiuddin along with officials from GHMC and Traffic police held an inspection at Mehdipatnam-Nanal Nagar-Tolichowki, and review meetings over the increasing traffic chaos in the stretch.

An official from GHMC Town Planning wing said that works on a 50-feet road under the Tolichowki flyover to Jubilee Hills road no 86 and 60-feet on the other side of the stretch are underway and added that the Town planning wing had taken strict action against footpath encroachers and shop owners who occupy parking facilities and footpaths.

The official also asserted that traffic congestion in Tolichowki is mainly due to street vendors. "Street Vendors Corporation has already provided identity cards to street vendors and urged them not to keep their pushcarts on the road, and further directed them to follow rules but they remain deaf to everything," said an official.