The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Traffic diversion panacea for all problems?

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Tuesday, Dec 23, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Traffic diversion panacea for all problems?

Staff Reporter

Officials searching for alternatives following a fatal accident on Military Dairy Farm road

— PHOTOS: P.V. SIVAKUMAR

Ineffective: Inter-State lorries enter from the Trimulghery side of the Military Dairy Farm Road, despite a ban.

HYDERABAD: People and police believe that the only option for most of the traffic-related problems, accidents on the Lal Bazar-Military Dairy Farm road, choking at Trimulgherry junction and traffic snarls on the Ramakrishnapuram flyover that confront commuters daily, is the diversion of heavy vehicles from Kushaiguda to Medchal road via Shamirpet.

Though traffic movement in this part of the city had been chaotic for quite sometime, officials began searching for alternatives following a fatal accident on Military Dairy Farm road two days ago that triggered violent protests by local people.

More confusion

Complying with the demands of people, police temporarily stopped allowing heavy vehicles to enter this route from Bowenpally and Trimulgherry sides. But this created more confusion and chaos with the drivers of heavy vehicles taking detour through different routes.

Though policemen are posted at the beginning of the route on either side, some drivers continue to ply on this route not paying heed to their directions. The Bowenpally-Military Dairy Farm-Lal Bazar-Trimulgherry-Ramakrishnapuram flyover- Kushaiguda route is used by heavy vehicles coming from Mumbai and heading towards Vijayawada and vice versa.

Earlier, they used to travel by the Bowenpally market road after crossing Trimulgherry intersection. Interestingly, this route was closed for heavy vehicles following representations from people that they were frequently causing accidents endangering lives of people.

That was when heavy vehicles were diverted to Lal Bazar-Military Dairy Farm route. Over the past few years, volumes of general traffic went up on this road as well with residential localities emerging in the area. Road accidents too increased prompting the locals to demand a ban on heavy vehicles.

Angry mobs torched a lorry after it crushed to death two persons two years ago. In a near re-run of the incident, a lorry ran over a youngster on this road on Saturday triggering public anger yet again and bringing forth the ban on heavy vehicles demand. “But there are no alternative roads wide enough to accommodate heavy vehicles to reach Bowenpally-Medchal road after Trimulgherry. That is why we’re suggesting that all heavy vehicles be diverted towards Shamirpet from Kushaiguda,” the traffic police said.

This would mean travelling 10-15 kilometres more for the heavy vehicles. But re-routing them through Kushaiguda-Cherlaplaly IDA-Chakripuram-Shamirpet-Medchal would not only check accidents on Ramakrishnapuram flyover and Dairy Farm road but ease traffic congestion at Trmulgherry junction also.

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