Hyderabad: Traffic congestion continues to plague both Old and New Hyderabad, though the causes differ sharply. While the Old City grapples with narrow roads, dense markets and heavy pedestrian movement, the new city struggles with rapid motorisation and peak-hour surges in IT corridors. Experts say a uniform traffic solution will not work.Old City: Narrow Roads, Pedestrian PressureIn the densely populated Old City, congestion stems largely from infrastructural and enforcement gaps. Narrow streets, compact residential pockets and informal commercial activity leave little room for vehicles. Public transport coverage remains limited.Thousands visit popular markets and eateries daily, yet the absence of proper footpaths and chronic parking shortages worsen traffic. Unregulated auto-rickshaw stands further shrink usable road space.Shaikh Hameed, a shop owner on Madina Market Road, said many roads were built around 1947 and were never designed for present-day traffic volumes. “Several eateries and shops lack dedicated parking, forcing roadside parking and reducing carriageway space. The Master Plan 2031 proposes road widening, but it remains on paper,” he said.Foot overbridges and underpasses are either missing or inadequate. Severe congestion is routine around Madina Chowrasta, Gulzar Houz, Salar Jung Museum, Chowmahalla Palace, Mir Alam Mandi and surrounding areas. Roads leading to Charminar remain choked within a 3–4 km radius. Similar bottlenecks occur at Shalibanda, Moghalpura, Yakutpura, Dabirpura, Hussaini Alam, Shah Ali Banda, Laad Bazaar, Kalikaman and near Mecca Masjid.Motorists complain that road widening has failed to keep pace with growing demand. Amir Habeeb, who commutes from Chandrayangutta to Charminar, said he is frequently stuck for 20–30 minutes on short stretches, especially around Aliabad Sarai and Shah Ghouse Hotel. “Over the years, movement space has only shrunk,” he said.During Ramzan, the Old City turns into a food hub, drawing massive crowds. Many commuters now prefer Tolichowki and other nearby areas to avoid traffic. P Gowtham, an IT employee, said he was once stuck for an hour to cover just 1 km around midnight.D Joel Davis, joint commissioner (Traffic), said areas such as Malakpet are highly congested, particularly near the RUB bridge. “Madina Market faces heavy traffic due to shoppers and eateries, compounded by poor pedestrian infrastructure near Afzal Gunj. At Purana Pul Darwaza, even new flyovers have not eased pressure — congestion has merely shifted,” he said. Narrow roads, hawkers and limited parking continue to restrict movement.To address this, Hyderabad traffic police recently met GHMC and other stakeholders. Vendor zones are being identified, and hawkers will be restricted to designated areas. “There is currently no provision to convert roads into pedestrian-only stretches. Once the metro becomes operational, we expect some decongestion,” Davis added.Weak enforcement a key factorTraffic expert Dheerendra Samineni said road quality in much of the Old City is adequate, but enforcement is weak and alternate routes are poorly planned. “Active route management and parking discipline can ease congestion. The lack of pedestrian pathways near Madina Market and Charminar forces walkers onto roads. Select stretches should be pedestrian- and two-wheeler-only,” he said.He added that extending the Hyderabad Metro into the Old City could be transformative. “Many trips are short- to medium-distance commutes to markets and schools. Metro connectivity could shift two-wheeler and auto users to rail during peak hours. Dense areas can also adopt one-way systems and stricter peak-hour policing.”New City: Peak-Hour PressureIn Cyberabad, the Outer Ring Road has eased through-traffic, but congestion persists in IT hubs such as Gachibowli, Madhapur, HITEC City, Raidurg and Kondapur during peak hours. Rapid IT growth and real estate expansion have increased reliance on private vehicles.Daily bottlenecks are reported along the Gachibowli–Kondapur stretch, Nanakramguda, the Financial District, and approach roads from Kukatpally and Miyapur. Stretches including the ITC Kohenur–IKEA flyover road, Lemon Tree–Trident Road, Cyber Towers flyover–Medicover Hospital corridor, Vamsiram–Wipro Junction and ICICI Junction–WaveRock Road witness frequent slowdowns.S Sheshadrini Reddy, DCP Traffic-2, said a recent coordination meeting discussed underpasses, flyovers and service roads at critical junctions, along with improved footpaths. “We have conducted surveys, and measures are in the pipeline,” she said.Commuters, however, blame ongoing infrastructure works for disruptions. Mohammed Arif said his commute from Nanakramguda to Kondapur nearly doubled during the PJR flyover construction due to repeated diversions.Monsoon rains further worsen congestion because of waterlogging in low-lying stretches near HITEC City and Raidurg. S Raghav, an IT employee, said his commute from Kukatpally to Gachibowli takes about an hour during peak time, and rains often double travel time on short stretches.Authorities have deployed traffic marshals and attempted staggered office timings in the past, but results were limited. Recently, GHMC announced three multi-level flyovers worth ₹800 crore at IIIT Junction, Khajaguda and Wipro Junction, targeted for completion by May 2028.Cyberabad needs stricter enforcementTraffic expert Naresh Raghavan said that unlike the Old City, Cyberabad’s wider roads require better management rather than expansion. “Scientific signal timing, strict parking enforcement near office hubs and improved junction design can ease peak-hour congestion without major construction,” he said.Experts also stressed the need for storm-water upgrades in the IT corridor. “Drainage must be treated as part of traffic planning, not just civic maintenance,” Samineni said.In August 2025, Hyderabad Traffic Police deployed 50 patrol bikes and 100 dedicated traffic marshals to strengthen enforcement. Experts argue that more visible, on-the-spot enforcement is necessary. “Immediate penalties create deterrence. Delayed fines fail to curb wrong-lane driving and illegal parking,” Raghavan said.
