HYDERABAD: Banjara Hills Road No 1 is all set to become the headquarters for all traffic jams in the city. In addition to the umpteen number of eating joints, pubs, coffee shops, shopping malls along with many offices, GVK One, the 3.5 lakh square feet one-stop destination for shopaholics, was inaugurated here on Friday.
With traffic police not able to manage the situation during the weekends before the mall existed, commuters fear that traffic jams would now become a way of life on this road. “The road appears very narrow during weekends with cars and SUVs crawling out of parking lots during party hours. The fourwheelers, which are parked outside the complexes, eat up almost half the road space,” expressed Raja Bhanu, a software employee whose office is located in the ANR Centre.
The newly-opened GVK One shopping mall houses several retail and entertainment outlets, including the 1,200 seat, six-screen, INOX multiplex and a themed fun zone. When asked about the footfalls they are expecting during the weekends, the official spokesperson said that they anticipate around 25,000 customers per day, once the occupancy reaches the maximum.
On the other hand, given the magnitude of the footfalls and its proximity to many other leisure places spread across the road, coupled with the fact that there are six screens in the INOX, commuters are shuddering already.
“As it is, the traffic situation during evenings on weekends is nightmarish.
I just hope that this mall would not add to the woes of the commuters,” said another employee Archana Subrahmaian.
However, GVK marketing manager P Raghuram maintained that they have earmarked a lot of space for parking. “The design of the parking lot is done keeping the congested road in mind. There are two exit points strategically located on the either side of the mall to avert a traffic jam and the front space would also be utilised in case any celebrity makes a sudden visit,” Raghuram explained.
Panjagutta traffic police say that will do their best to avoid traffic jams during the weekends and on regular days as well.
“We are still assessing the situation and would take appropriate measures to facilitate smooth travel for the public. It might take another two-three weeks to give a definitive reply regarding the state of affairs,” R Rajeshwara Rao, SI of the police station, said.
