Sunday traffic curbs on Tank Bund?

Hyderabad: Ever tried crossing the Tank Bund to the lakeside, that too on a Sunday evening? A pedestrian’s nightmare, this one mission is likely to get a solution soon. A citizen, who felt it was total chaos on Sundays when families try to cross the road to reach the lakeside, tweeted about it on Tuesday, […]

Hyderabad: Ever tried crossing the Tank Bund to the lakeside, that too on a Sunday evening? A pedestrian’s nightmare, this one mission is likely to get a solution soon. A citizen, who felt it was total chaos on Sundays when families try to cross the road to reach the lakeside, tweeted about it on Tuesday, triggering an immediate response from IT Minister KT Rama Rao, who has now asked the Hyderabad City Police to consider traffic restrictions on the busy Tank Bund on Sundays.

“Why not restrict traffic movement on Sunday evening between 5 to 8 pm on Tank Bund, citizen’s can enjoy the beautiful facility provided by your Government. It’s total chaos now families struggling to cross from left to right it’s pedestrian nightmare right now,” (sic) tweeted the citizen, who uses the handle Ashok Chandrasekar. Terming this a ‘Good suggestion’, the Minister replied: “Request @CPHydCity to consider & plan with your team on implementation,” (sic), tagging Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar.

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Good suggestion 👍 Request @CPHydCity to consider & plan with your team on implementation https://t.co/4OBWtdV14z

— KTR (@KTRTRS) August 24, 2021

The State government through the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has been introducing several citizen-oriented facilities on Tank Bund and the nearby PV Narasimha Rao Marg (Necklace Road). These include better walkways, designer lamp posts, CCTV surveillance and enhanced security, better seating arrangements with aesthetic shelters and even rainproof benches.

The suggestion met with welcoming and at the same time, apprehensive responses as well from the public. While many agreed to traffic restrictions for a few hours during the weekend, especially Sunday, others suggested skywalks and Foot-over-Bridges.

Md Azarul Haque, supporting the traffic restriction idea, said the move would be good for tourists and local visitors too. Only ambulances should be allowed, he said. Another Twitter user, Manish Datt, suggested mandatory use of public transport to visit during such peak picnic hours since there was not much of parking space on either side.

Another user Ganesh Balakrishnan said an alternative parking facility and one-way traffic monitoring on Minister’s Road could be tried out, failing which the stress would be on the traffic management team.