HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, in association with stakeholder departments, is drawing up plans to decongest the surrounding areas of three busy railway stations in the twin cities _ Secunderabad, Hyderabad (Nampally) and Kacheguda.
These three stations cumulatively handle around 2.5 lakh passengers on an average per day and around 2 to 3 lakh people on daily basis visit the stations for business purposes, receive or send off their family members or friends.
City-based Third Rock Consultants Private Limited, experts in traffic engineering and transport planning, will submit its report to the GHMC in a day or two on how to manage traffic at the three railway stations.
Officials of GHMC, traffic police, South Central Railway, APSRTC, district administration and other departments concerned will sit together and discuss the content of the report and chalk out plans for de-congestion of the three railway stations. Valid suggestions from the stakeholders will be incorporated before implementing the plan.
Speaking to Express, GHMC engineer-in-chief R Dhan Singh says the areas around these railway stations are overcrowded with motor vehicles and commuters. Often, traffic jams occur there due to lack of traffic management system.
The GHMC aims to streamline infrastructure around the stations to ensure smooth movement of people and vehicles. Essentially, the de-congestion scheme will involve moving the bus bays, taxi and autorickshaw stands and other measures.
The plan is to set up facilities within the vicinity of the stations so that one get off the bus or park his vehicle within walking distance from the station and, at the same time, ensure that the locality does not see congestion due to such parking.
Signages at the entry and exit points will be put up to guide passengers. Lack of signages is at present making passengers coming to the city from other parts of the country confused as to where to go. Parking or hawking will not be allowed near the railway stations.