Traffic fix must to boost Brand Hyd, says IT sector

Hyderabad: Is Hyderabad headed the Bengaluru way with regular traffic snarls choking arterial city roads? That’s the biggest worry plaguing the IT industry, which is currently working in hybrid mode, and fears gridlocks like Bengaluru may become the norm once they resume full work from office.
“The industry is worried because with just 30-40% of workforce working from office, if this is the state of traffic, what will happen once the entire workforce comes back to work from office?” said an IT industry honcho.
Jams at non-peak hours
Many IT industry insiders complain about how most roads leading to the IT hubs like Hitech City, Raidurg, Gachibowli are always jammed even during non-peak hours. “There is no longer just peak hour traffic. Many arterial roads such as the ones leading to Cyber Tower, Durgam Cheruvu Cable Bridge are jammed at all times of the day,” said another IT sector top gun.
This has already become such a major pain point that it was one of the key issues raised by IT/ITeS industry honchos with Telangana IT minister D Sridhar Babu during a meeting on Tuesday.
Need to ramp up infra
While some of the suggestions voiced during the meeting included leveraging newer technologies such as Artificial Intelligence for better traffic management, the industry is now pushing for a quick ramp-up of infrastructure to ensure brand Hyderabad does not receive a Bengaluru like whipping.
“There is a need to develop infrastructure consciously so that the overall citizen experience and the effort and time taken to commute keeps Hyderabad a preferred destination for companies and talent. Road development, more efficient public transport and improved last mile connectivity are some of the aspects that need to be looked at,” said Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA) president Manisha Saboo.
No single solution
According to V Rajanna, president for technology, software & services, Tata Consultancy Services, who was present at the meeting, while Hyderabad is still better compared to cities such as Bengaluru, traffic issue needs to be examined in detail. “There is no single solution. Hyderabad has a good Metro, number of SHE Shuttles can be increased for last mile connectivity and carpooling too can be good option but there is a need for more clarity on its legality in light of regulations,” said Rajanna.
TiE Hyderabad former president Murali Bukkapatnam, feels while restricting FSI for residential projects may be one solution, the government can also give incentives for using public transportation and disincentivise private vehicles through the Singapore model, where only a limited number of licences are given for purchasing cars each year.