Habsiguda jam irks commuters
Bad roads, metro work and a weekly bazaar contribute to the terrible traffic gridlocks on the Uppal main road. Traffic police and metro marshals express helplessness about the problem.
Wide, clean and well maintained roads were the reasons most citizens used to choose Uppal main road for their long drive. Today, the opposite is true. Motorists are mortally afraid of crossing this jumble of machines.
The stretch between Habsiguda and Uppal has become narrower due to metro rail work. The topography of the road is such that it has places of worship in the middle of the road. At such junctions, the roads get very narrow and commuting is challenging.
The metro construction work started six months back. Adding to the mess were the rains. “It’s a challenge to drive on this stretch now. Earlier, we could cross this stretch in less than five minutes, now it takes us more than 30 minutes. We don’t have an alternative route,” said Meghna Reddy, a student.
As if all this was not enough, the Monday market makes the situation worse. For 20 years, vendors have been selling vegetables by the road but due to the metro work, they have encroached the space meant for motorists. “We have been here for the last 20 years. Until now, everything was good. Suddenly, the traffic police wants us to move, why should we?” questions Rajendar M, a vendor.
Another vendor, Yadagiri, chips in, “All these years, they used our service and now they want us to go? Why can’t the government do something? When they know people come to us why don’t they build a permanent market for us?”
Commuters complain that it’s impossible to commute on this road.
“There is practically nothing we can do. The whole problem starts from Masjid Road; the roads are bad, so traffic moves slow. The metro construction makes traffic movement painful,” said G Ravinder, a traffic cop.
All this despite the metro rail appointing metro traffic marshals to help. “Our job is to ensure traffic moves smoothly but here, there are glitches like the bad roads, the structures in the middle of the road and on Monday, the bazaar. Until the metro work is completed, there is no relief for commuters,” said Malesh B, metro traffic marshal.
Gurupreth Singh, who has been selling helmets for the last 18 years here, said this was the first time he has seen such a pathetic condition of the road. “Earlier, this was one of the best roads but now there is no defined one-way movement. People drive any which way they want to,” he said.
The corporator, S Hari Vardhan Reddy, on the other hand, says this is how it is and citizens have to put up with it. “What can I do? Both the market and the metro rail are needed. If we remove the market, it will be difficult for citizens. The metro is also for the benefit of citizens. Till the metro work is completed, there is no other way out,” the corporator said.
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