Hyderabad: There have been 610 deaths in Cyberabad and 335 deaths in Hyderabad due to accidents this year up to now.
Road accidents have seen a rise in the last few days in the city and outskirts due to speeding, drunk driving, driving on the wrong side of the road, overtaking from the wrong side and also attempting to dodge heavy vehicles like buses and trucks.
Inexperienced RTC drivers have also caused accidents in the last one and a half months in the city. Those driving two wheelers and pedestrians are at the highest risk on the roads.
The pedestrians are mostly walking on the roads as there are no working footpaths in the city. Whatever footpaths are available have been encroached upon by hawkers and that makes it difficult to walk.
More than 100 pedestrians have died as the vehicles hit them or they were hit while trying to cross the road.
A senior traffic police officer explained, “The biggest problem faced is two wheelers. They come from anywhere and any side. Along with this, are the light two wheelers, mostly driven by women. They are always in a hurry to take the child from school or rush somewhere. They drive very badly and there is just no control."
Managing traffic is not only job of the policeman but also people who have to follow discipline. This is the biggest challenge and people are not concerned whether their acts lead to injury, disability or death.
Renuka Vamshi, a software employee explained, "The worst are the cabs as they are always in a hurry.
They overtake, speed and also honk continuously. The drivers get angry if employees complain. They drive carefully only when they know cameras are tracking them. This has to be tackled as they ferry a large number of working people. Most employees are so tired that they sleep in the car instead of asking the driver to follow traffic rules."
Company cabs which go to the outskirts of the city areas ferry college students and working people on their return journeys. These are mostly commuters who would otherwise travel in RTC buses. Instead of returning empty, they ferry people to make extra money. This is a regular practice in the city and there is no one to stop them from speeding.
Senior traffic police personnel state that they are manning important junctions and have brought down the accidents in the main city of Hyderabad but in Cyberabad and Rachakonda, the challenges remain.
