Cyberabad Police Plans Hotline With Companies

Hyderabad: A spell of heavy rain is enough to create traffic snarls across Hyderabad, leaving thousands of people on the road for hours in the rain. Though traffic police regularly issue advisories on early log-outs, the message does not reach out to all companies.

With more than 1,500 companies operating within the commissionerate limits, the Cyberabad Traffic Police, under the guidance of police commissioner Dr M. Ramesh, plans to streamline the communication process to ensure that all its advisories reach all companies quickly.

An advisory was issued for Wednesday, following a forecast of heavy rainfall, requesting companies to allow staggered early log-outs by 3.30 pm to reduce traffic volumes during peak hours, minimise congestion on major corridors and facilitate the movement of emergency vehicles. Apart from sending emails to companies, the police could also post advisories on social media platforms so that employees are aware of the request.

Cyberabad Joint Commissioner of Police (traffic) Sunpreet Singh said the advisories were primarily aimed at the city's IT workforce.

“The advisory is for the techie population. It helps them log out early and reach home instead of getting stuck in traffic. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are generally the busiest working days of the week, and staggered departures help distribute traffic better. During rains, traffic usually slows down but does not come to a standstill unless road repairs, fallen trees, waterlogging, vehicle breakdowns or accidents create bottlenecks,” he said.

Private employee Aishwarya said employees often faced their biggest challenge after office hours during heavy rain. “If we don't leave early, we have to wait a long time. Booking an Uber or finding public transport becomes difficult and expensive. Employees should either be allowed to work from home or be permitted to log out early. We were not informed about today’s advisory, so I sought permission for the team to log out early. The concept of WFH functioned smoothly during Covid, so why can companies not manage it during heavy rain?” she asked.

Sherly Christina, People Business Partner at Xebia in Gachibowli, said her organisation did not receive Wednesday’s advisory, although it had received similar alerts earlier. She said such information usually reached employees through the administration department, but its implementation varied from team to team.

“We have around 150 employees who follow hybrid schedules, while the other 150 work fixed shifts linked to project deadlines. Those on fixed schedules often find it difficult to leave early because of delivery commitments,” she explained.

Ekta Dewan, head of marketing and corporate communications at Incuspaze, which operates 14 co-working centres in Hyderabad, said flexibility improved employee morale.

“Who would not want to leave early? When employees are given such exceptions, they come back to work happier the next day. WFH should also be considered an important option. Whenever we receive a police advisory, we email all the companies operating from our centres. However, managers are sometimes unable to approve early log-outs because of client commitments,” she said.

A senior police official said one of the biggest hurdles was the decision-making process within companies. “Many company heads are based outside Hyderabad. Rain lasts only a few hours, but obtaining approvals through multiple levels of management takes time. By the time a decision is made, the rain may have subsided, and the roads may have begun to clear,” the official said.

To address this issue, the Cyberabad police are working to strengthen their communication network with companies so that advisories can reach decision-makers faster and enable quicker responses during weather-related traffic disruptions.