Hyderabad: Experts push for mass transit, no-car days

HYDERABAD: The duration and frequency of traffic jams in the city during monsoon has increased significantly over the last few years. Traffic experts suggest that mass transit and implementation of ‘no-car’ days are the best ways to reduce congestion during monsoon.
Experts say that an increase in the number of vehicles on city roads from 16.72 lakh in 2010 to over 50 lakh in 2019 without a corresponding increase in road space are reasons for the congestion. The city has about 10 highly congested areas, with most of these being in prime business localities and IT corridors.
“More than 1,000 new vehicles are registered every day. We do not need a car for every person. Government needs to encourage people to carpool and use public transport,” said Vinod Kumar Kanumala, founder of Indian Federation of Road Safety, an NGO.
C Ramachandraiah, a public transport expert, said, “Mass transit is one of the best ways to reduce traffic congestion in a city that has population growing exponentially. Imagine 50 people travelling in one bus and imagine them travelling in 4-wheelers and 2-wheelers. The difference is quite clear.”
“Public transportation like RTC buses and Metro trains can help abundantly in reducing traffic congestion. But, due to lack of last-mile connectivity and limited accessibility in many areas, there is a need for more mass transit services,” he said.