Traffic woes rise in IT hub

HYDERABAD: The establishment of an IT hub is considered to be a mark of development for the state. These IT hubs not only lead to an increase the number of jobs but also to an increase in the number of vehicles. Traffic congestions during peak hours in cities such as Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad have become a challenge for traffic policemen.

Abishek Kumar, a resident of Hyderabad, says, “As an employee of Microsoft, a company which has around 3,000 employees, I can tell you that there are at least 1,500 cars coming out of our office every day. The same holds true for other IT firms such as Google and Cognizant. I am used to seeing one-way traffic on my way to work and back, which proves that it is the office crowd going back and forth causing congestion.”

Despite the constant interaction between traffic policemen and IT companies, to try and come up with ways to regulate the crowd, there has been no improvement in the situation. Mr A.R. Srinivas, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, says, “We often have to switch off the signals and regulate traffic manually to allow for an easier flow of traffic. We are much better than Bengaluru beca-use we have better roads. However, if the traffic is not checked, the vehicular congestion here will also increase. Areas near Gachibowli are often crowded during the peak hours, from 9 to 11 in the morning, and from 5 to 8 in the evening.”

While carpooling is an effective measure to reduce traffic, not many people opt for it. Sriya Raj, an employee of an IT company in Bangalore, says, “The irony is that people do not want to be stuck in a car that has to travel all over the city before reaching their destination. However, they are willing to spend hours stuck in their own cars. Rash driving increases the number of traffic jams. People try to navigate and enter into even the tiniest of spaces without any consideration for other drivers.” Town planning is crucial for the organised development of metropolitan cities. P.S. Pasricha, the former DGP of Maharashtra, has a PhD in traffic management, said.