Hyderabad: Commuters had a tough time on Monday with the failure of traffic signals on the busy Road No. 12 Junction at Banjara Hills for a couple of hours due to VVIP visit. With policemen manning the junction and running around helplessly to manage the traffic, vehicles were trapped in chaos.
However, the Hyderabad traffic police said the signals were turned off ‘deliberately’ for a few minutes due to VVIP movement in the stretch. Traffic police were regulating vehicles till the VVIP movement crossed the stretch, they added. It was a sudden stop of traffic signals which caught commuters unawares.
The signals did not work for half an hour. People were stunned with the signals going dysfunct for around half an hour. They said the traffic men could have coordinated with each other instead of running around and creating confusion.
The junction at Banjara Hills on Road No. 1 and 12 Intersection was a crucial point as it was on the roads connecting Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills with different parts of the city.
Traffic DCP A.V. Ranganath said the signals were turned off for a few minutes keeping in view of the VVIP movement. However, things returned to normalcy in a short span of time, he added. Prince Aga Khan was travelling from the Begumpet Airport to Qutub Shahi tombs at Golconda.
“An advisory requesting citizens to avoid certain roads, including this junction to avoid getting struck in traffic jams was issued in the morning and it was also circulated widely on social media,” he added.
The advisory said the motorcade of the VVIP would be routed through the Begumpet Airport- Punjagutta, GVK one Banjara Hills, Road No. 1 Banjara Hills, Masab Tank, Mehdipatnam, Nanal Nagar, Tolichowki Flyover, Shaikpet Nala, 7 Tombs between 4 pm and 4.30 pm.
To avoid traffic jams/congestions, commuters were requested to avoid Begumpet, Punjagutta, Road No. 1 Banjara Hills, Masab Tank, Mehdipatnam, Nanal Nagar areas between 3.45 pm and 4.30 pm. From 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm people had been asked to avoid Shaikpet Nala, Nanal Nagar, Rethi Bowli and Mehdipatnam areas.
