Hyderabad: Lack of Parking Space at Flyover Parks Irks Visitors
Hyderabad: Recreational facilities such as parks, seating areas and walking tracks developed by the GHMC under flyovers have become popular community spaces. However, the lack of dedicated parking facilities at these sites is causing inconvenience to those who use these facilities, as well as motorists.
Visitors to a basketball court and food court developed under the KPHB flyover park their vehicles along roadsides and being fined for unauthorised parking. Some people are parking in nearby shopping malls to avoid traffic fines.
When Deccan Chronicle contacted him, a GHMC official said, "An unused U-turn near the KPHB flyover, which was closed by the traffic police, has been identified as a parking area for the sports arena. The GHMC has requested permission from the traffic police to convert this space into a parking zone."
At the Chandrayangutta flyover, initially a parking place was proposed. However, due to heavy traffic congestion, the traffic police have asked the GHMC to identify an alternative location for the parking facility.
Akthar Mirza, who parks his vehicle under the flyover, said, "I frequently use the space for parking. However, the vehicles will be parked at the officially allotted space at Falaknuma once the works are completed."
Similarly, the Shaikpet flyover also lacks a designated parking space provided by the GHMC, though relaxation areas and walking tracks have been developed under this flyover. D.V. Chary, a resident of the OU Colony, said, “The parks are not useful without proper parking spaces, especially for people who come from a few kilometers away to use the walking track and other facilities.”
Oxygen Park, which was developed under LB Nagar Kamineni flyover, is ready to be inaugurated but has no designated parking space. Chandra Reddy, a local of LB Nagar said the idea of GHMC to create parks is useful, but if it could create designated parking areas along with the parks, visitors would be saved from traffic challans.