Traffic and transport experts ask Telangana govt to remove shrines first
Hyderabad: With upcoming elections for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has hurriedly laid foundation stones for construction of multilevel grade separators (flyovers), aimed at easing vehicular traffic congestion in the city. While grade separators definitely pave way for reducing traffic congestion on the existing roads, experts in traffic and transport systems said that flyovers alone would not solve the traffic congestion problem.
A strong political will is needed to remove traffic bottlenecks like chillas, mosques, statues, flag posts, temples, churches, graveyards, electric poles and all other forms of obstacles that occupy the carriageway, they said. Traffic and transport expert from OU Prof. Kumar Molugaram said that the state government’s idea of constructing flyovers was a good one but along with it there were a plethora of issues that needed the attention of the policy makers.
“Proposals such as phasing out of old vehicles have remained on paper. Traffic impact study should be made mandatory to give permission for construction of convention centres and malls which attract large number of cars. Driving licenses should be suspended for multiple violations of traffic rules to bring in discipline among motorists, road and traffic sense should be inculcated since childhood and government officials should be made accountable in execution of transport infrastructure projects,” he said.
Prof. C. Ramachandraiah from the CESS, who is also the convenor of Citizens for Better Public Transport in Hyderabad, said in cities like London, all city departments – fire services, traffic cops, buses, trains and other transport services, etc.— are under the control of the mayor who is answerable to the people. In Indian cities, the mayor’s post is a decorative one.
“The administration at city level has become insensitive to the problems being faced by the people. The government should initiate a discussion on all possible platforms and take the opinion of experts to make Hyderabad a better city for commuters. This is a city without pedestrian friendly footpaths,” he said.
Road Safety Organisation’s chief functionary Vinod Kumar said that the government should bring in laws to make people travel by public transport – buses and Metro Rail – during peak hours.
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