The issue of traffic congestion in the city led to a heated debate in the Legislative Council on Tuesday as Opposition Congress left no stone unturned to mock Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy over measures being taken to regulate vehicular movement.
Opposition leader Mohd Ali Shabbir seized the opportunity when BJP member N. Ramachandra Rao raised the question of worsening traffic situation in the city. The Home Minister admitted that growing number of vehicles (around 850 new ones getting onto the roads every day), inadequate carriageways, damaged roads and ongoing metro rail works were among the main reasons for the congestion.
Mr. Reddy listed out steps being taken to regulate traffic, with traffic police focusing on regulation during peak hours, and steps were being taken for expansion of carriageways and road repairs with departments concerned.
Citing traffic movement figures released by Ola Cabs company, he said compared to other big cities, traffic moved at the highest speed of 27 km per hour in Hyderabad. It was followed by Delhi (26.7 kmph), Mumbai (21.6 kmph), Pune (21.4 kmph), Kolkata (21.2 kmph) and Chennai (18.6 kmph).
Ridiculing the figures, Mr. Shabbir threw an open challenge to the Minister: “Let’s travel to Banjara Hills from here and see how the traffic moves. I will resign if it does at the rate you mentioned,” he said.
Stung by the criticism, Mr. Reddy said, “The TRS government has taken many steps for city development in the past three years and is focusing on solving traffic problems. Hyderabad will be turned into a signal-free city soon.”
He blamed Congress leaders for ‘looting’ Hyderabad over the past 50 years of their rule and added that it was ridiculous on their part to be talking about the city’s development now, drawing protest from Congress members.
Legislative Council chairman Swamy Goud, however, intervened and said he would expunge the word ‘loot’ from records.
