HYDERABAD: Could Car-Free Thursdays return to Cyberabad? The 2015 movement by Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA) and the TSRTC had helped keep thousands of cars off the roads in Gachibowli and Madhapur. And yet, after a year the programme lost its steam.
Four years later, however, with the launch of Metro rail and several shuttle services being introduced by IT companies to cater to their employees, and TSRTC also introducing close to 40 new buses this year in the West zone, experts opine that people may be warming up to the idea of car-less travel. And the government could capitalise on the same.
The initial founders of the campaign note that the time is apt for it to restart as is evident that despite multiple flyovers, underpasses and SRDPs in place, the traffic congestion is not easing at some of the most critical spots like Raheja Mindspace and Wipro junction.They say that the government must build on the campaign and formalise it to make into a full-fledged behaviour change where people are open to not using cars.
“The social campaign can only device ideas and give way for policies and changes,” Vishala Reddy, campaign designer of ‘Car-Free Thursday’ said. She said that the team had suggested the government to give incentives to people for not using cars. “If a car-user is bringing his vehicle, he gets to park free of cost. So he has an incentive to drive cars. Similarly, there is no infra in place to incentivise these car drivers to turn into pedestrians or cyclists or bus-users. The government must make commercial roads charge for parking and also simultaneously build footpaths,” she added.
Ramesh Loganathan, former president of HYSEA, said the TSRTC must use a new approach in determining routes. “Now TSRTC is only looking at which route will get the most traffic. But in areas like Cyberabad, they must work in coordination with IT companies to identify the places wherein most of the employees reside and let IT companies work to promote public transport there. This way untapped areas and routes can be targeted,” he said. He also added that RTC must follow the lines of BMTC in Bangalore and introduce a brand new fleet of buses and package them exclusively for the IT crowd so that public can use them on ‘Car-free days’.