HYDERABAD: While the Panjagutta police station bagged award for excelling in speedy disposal of cases, the traffic congestion in front of the police station is becoming a blot in its ‘second best police station’ status.Vehicles parked in a haphazard way, lack of pedestrian walkway and encroachment of free-left near the traffic wing of the police station have left the commuters fuming over the bottleneck created near the area.
A quick look at the outside of the model police station and one can surely find auto-rickshaws covered in dust, two-wheelers and even cars parked around the police station. This, despite the good number of No Parking posters on display around the place. “The department vehicles as well as vehicles lifted during drunk and driving cases are parked here blocking the entire free left. This has left us with no other option but to avoid the free left,” said K Suresh, an auto driver. It may be mentioned here that the encroached space was earlier an open one meant to allow free-left for traffic.
Recently, P Sudhakar Reddy, TRS MLC, also raised a question in State legislative council about the pedestrian infrastructure and rusting vehicles outside the police station. “The damaged autos and rust-eaten vehicles are a disgrace to model police station status accorded to it,” Reddy said. To truly reflect its prestigious status, the surrounding area should also be friendly to the pedestrians and motorists,” Reddy observed.
Meanwhile, the traffic wing painted a helpless situation for parking of towed vehicles. “There is no other place for us to park except near the entrance. But, many vehicles are taken back within two days reducing the congestion,” said B Koteshwar Rao, ACP, Panjagutta Traffic Police. “A letter has been written to the government for allocation of land. We are expecting parking facility for these towed vehicles at Command and Control Centre (twin towers) to be built at Banjara Hills,” he added.