Commuters find KBR Park one-way loop less stressful

Motorists are gradually adapting to the one-way loop around KBR Park, saying the longer route is offset by smoother traffic and fewer snarls. However, commuters have flagged lane-change confusion and traffic slowdowns during peak hours near key junctions

Hyderabad: The drive is a little stretched, but the commute is stress-free and comfortable.

Though a little vexed at having to drive more and go around, most commuters appear to be comfortably getting acquainted with the one-way loop around the KBR Park that was introduced around 10 days ago.

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With the chaos of traffic snarls and stopping and starting at signals largely done away with, most drivers feel that the driving has become less stressful along the loop.

Some commuters told ‘Telangana Today’ that though the detour was adding a few extra minutes to their journey time, the one-way traffic system had removed half of the variables such as bumper-to-bumper traffic and heated argument over petty traffic issues.

Even hail-ride drivers said they were travelling smoothly on the stretch though some confusion persists near Study Circle at Indo-American Cancer Hospital for lane change. Auto driver Srisailam said there was no confusion at KBR Junction but he was unsure at the Study Circle whether to head towards Indo-American Cancer Hospital or take the parallel stretch to Maharaja Agrasen Island.

Commuters from Film Nagar and Jubilee Hills reported confusion while proceeding towards Jubilee Hills Check Post metro station. “Many vehicles suddenly proceed either towards Chiranjeevi Blood Bank or towards KBR junction, creating uncertainty here,” Rameshwara Rao, a commuter, said.

Some commuters complained of traffic slowing down during peak hours from 7 pm to 10 pm, mainly near the Indo-American Cancer Hospital, Maharaja Agrasen Island and Film Nagar.

They said the GHMC should have first implemented one-way traffic around KBR Park and then proposed the H-CITI Project. “If motorists get into this smooth traffic movement pattern, there perhaps is no need for flyovers or underpasses costing crores of rupees,” said Adi Narayana, a commuter near the check post.