Hyderabad: AP has become the first state in the country to issue a notification enforcing driving discipline on highways.
The Cyberabad police has framed certain guidelines on speed for the different lanes of the Outer Ring Road. The DOs and DON’Ts will come into effect on January 19. Traffic enforcement teams will be tracking vehicles violating norms. Heavy fines will be imposed on those who break the rules. They will also be liable for prosecution as per the MV Act and the Cyberabad Police Act, the notification said.
The speed guidelines on ORR says, the maximum speed on Lane 1 and Lane 2 will be 120 km an hour and the minimum speed will be 80 km an hour. (Lane 1 is the one closest to the median). The maximum speed on Lane 3 and Lane 4 will be 80 km an hour and minimum 40 km an hour. The minimum speed on ORR will be 40 kmph. No vehicle is permitted to travel on ORR while maintaining a speed less than 40 kmph.
As per the notification faster moving vehicles should move on the right lanes (Lane 1 and 2) and slow vehicles on the left lanes (3 and 4). Heavy vehicles should move only on Lane 3 or Lane 4.
All vehicles, which change their speed, will have to move to the lane with the appropriate speed limit and no zig- zag movement between lanes will be permitted. Motorists looking to change lanes should do so only after flashing indicator lights.
Cyberabad commissioner C.V. Anand said, “No vehicle should stop on any of the four ORR lanes. Vehicles which have to make emergency stops, due to human or mechanical emergency, should park on the extreme left, that is the service lane, switch on indicators or parking lights and put up cones indicating emergency about five meters from the rear of the vehicle and in the front. These rules will come into force from January 19.
Cyberabad traffic DCP Avinash Mohanty said that police teams will constantly patrol the ORR and those who violate rules will be punished strictly. All those who break rules will be prosecuted and will also have to pay heavy fines, he added. The police will be enforcing rules strictly to prevent accidents and loss of life, Avinash said.
HMDA commissioner Neerabh Kumar Prasad said the civic body had been working on the notification since some months. Earlier, the HMDA had submitted toll proposals to the government to curb the entry of two and three wheelers, which was approved.
However, accidents did not come down. Now, with speed restrictions and constant patrolling, the stretch will be better managed, the commissoner said. The CCTVs, electronic toll booths, and other modern technologies are part of the planned Intelligent Traffic Transport System. Tenders will be called for this in March, he said.
Next: Patrol vehicles launched
Patrol vehicles launched
Hyderabad: Racing and making wrong turns are major problems on ORR, and this has caused many accidents. Even though two and three wheelers are banned, bikes and autorickshaws often use the ORR due to lack of policing.
Other violations are illegal parking, overspeeding, lane indiscipline and zig-zag driving. The four patrol cars flagged off on Saturday are meant for Phase 1 of ORR (85 km) from Pedda Amberpet to Patancheru.
Two speed guns, costing '16 lakh each, have been set up on the ORR. They will record the speed of vehicles 1.5 km away. Those injured in accidents on ORR will be taken to hospitals at Kondapur or Rajendernagar.
The police teams are equipped with speed laser guns, breath analysers, PA systems and safety equipment. Two helpline numbers 040–23002424 and 8500411111 (active) have also been introduced. The HMDA will conduct an ORR safety week soon.
The notification on guidelines are being distributed at toll plazas, and banners will be put up soon. The enforcement will start in the coming days.
