HYDERABAD: The arterial roads in the city were choked with traffic on Monday evening, leaving commuters stranded for hours. While heavy traffic has become a common occurrence for citizens lately, Monday’s congestion was among the worst in recent times, leaving many frustrated and furious.
The worst traffic jams were experienced in Tolichowki, Nanal Nagar, Rethibowli, Asif Nagar, Mehdipatnam, Masab Tank, Vijaynagar Colony, Khairatabad, Irrum Manzil, Begumpet, Punjagutta, Nampally, MJ Market, Tank Bund, Saifabad, Gandhi Bhavan, Koti, Abids, Secunderabad and RP Road.
Mohd Amir, an autorickshaw driver at Masab Tank, said , “I am suffering from business loss today as my bookings have been cancelled by customers because I have been stuck in traffic for more than half an hour.”
To avoid the traffic congestion, some two-wheeler riders resorted to driving on footpaths, making it difficult for pedestrians to walk. Additionally, people at bus stops faced difficulties waiting for and boarding their buses due to vehicles attempting to overtake the buses.
The situation was equally frustrating for those venturing out to enjoy the Ganesh festival celebrations. N Sudhir, a motorist who was on his way to visit the Khairatabad Ganesh idol with his family from Tolichowki, said it was a bad idea to be on the road at that hour, and his children’s enthusiasm for the celebrations had dampened.
For many commuters, the unexpected traffic congestion turned into a nightmare, especially during the late evening hours as people headed home from offices. Auto-rickshaws, RTC and college buses, scooters, motorcycles and cars were stuck in a ceaseless flow of vehicles, making lane changes or turns nearly impossible.
‘No traffic cops on road’
Even an ambulance and police vans were trapped in the heavy congestion. To make matters worse, traffic personnel were absent at major junctions, leaving the public without guidance or assistance in clearing the gridlock, commuters alleged.
Hyderabad Traffic Police used their official social media handle to provide real-time traffic updates, but frustrated commuters also took to X to express their grievances. A user, with the screenname Ravi Kumar DM, said he had been stuck in traffic for 40 minutes: “Not even a single person from Traffic police is seen on this road. We’ve been stuck here for 40 minutes.”
Another user, Yashwant Reddy, posted: “Today’s too much. I got delayed 20 minutes for my office punch-in.”