Driving on Hyderabad roads an arduous task

Unfinished civil works, potholes, lack of lane markings, poor lighting among many challenges commuters face every day

Hyderabad: An over 10-foot-deep excavation laxly secured with a bunch of cement barricades lies unattended in the centre of a road in Tilak Nagar. With no radium stickers on the barricades and pointed metal bars peeking out, along with narrowing the roadway, the site is a tragedy waiting to befall.

Posing a significant danger to passersby, both pedestrians and motorists alike, the unfinished civil work in a densely populated area is one such example of the dismal state of roads in Hyderabad.

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Along with multiple other roads dug up by authorities to undertake drainage or other pipeline works, potholes, uneven surfaces, lack of lane markings and poor lighting are among the many challenges commuters face every day.

Navigating these poorly managed stretches, while also keeping an eye out for road hogs and jaywalkers, suggests that driving on city roads is an arduous task.

In some parts of the city, muddy trails strewn with concrete patches are substituted for roads, leading to traffic snarls and vehicular damage. Areas such as Uppal, Amberpet and Doodhbowli have some of the most bumpy thoroughfares.

“The condition of roads is turning bad in the city and municipal authorities seem to be hardly bothered about improving it,” said Rabinder Rao from Himayathnagar.
Jyothsna from Srinagar Colony echoes the same views, adding that re-carpeting and road restoration seem to have taken a backseat for the authorities.

Mainly, little to no attention is paid to regularly used roads in the interiors of the city. Multiple residential areas are plagued with patchwork repairs often proving to be short-lived solutions, in addition to roads where the only light source would be your vehicle headlight. Some stretches such as the one in Kavadiguda, have way too many drainage grates, compelling drivers to pump their breaks every other minute.

Some roads have faded lane markings and stop lines, adding to the prevailing poor driving etiquette in the city. NTR Marg at Hussain Sagar is also devoid of lane markings and reflective road dividers.

Apart from the challenges that motorists face, city roads are also unsafe for pedestrians as there is a lack of serviceable footpaths with many being encroached on.