HYDERABAD: Concerns are rife that the upcoming Metro at the Raheja Mindspace Rotary may just worsen the traffic situation there. This concern stems from the fact that one of the staircases of the under-construction Metro station lands on the approach road of the rotary, right outside Karachi Cafe. If the plan is unchanged, motorists will have a very narrow stretch of road to use. At present, according to HMRL officials, only 60 feet of road is available for traffic. This would roughly translate to 3-4 lanes. However, as per the SRDP, approach roads need to have six lanes. At present, it is common to encounter congestion if one uses the rotary and heads toward Cyber Towers from Biodiversity junction.
HMRL officials, meanwhile, are playing down these fears. “Mindspace has inspected by traffic police, GHMC and TSIIC officials. We have shifted the staircase to the maximum extent, allowing us 60 feet of road on one side. At present, due to the construction, it may appear as a bottle neck. However, we will ensure that traffic won’t stagnate here,” said NVS Reddy, MD, HMRL.
Officials from SRDP also defended the design of the rotary, stating that the issue has risen as the Raheja Mindspace IT park has grown exponentially, leading to a 14 per cent rise in traffic, as compared to usual Indian projection of 4 per cent increase.