The average speed at which vehicles travel in the city has drastically come down due to the bad roads. The result: delays, traffic jams and inconvenience to lakhs of working people. Nearly 500 km of roads in the city are in a terrible shape. Of the total, nearly 400 km belong to the Greater Hyderabad Muni-cipal Corporation. The remaining roads are under the control of the roads and buildings and National Highway authorities.
The traffic police attribute the dip in vehicle speed to the potholed roads, which have been cratered and battered by heavy rains. Additional commissioner of police (traffic) C.V. Anand said that during peak traffic hours in January, February, March, April and May, the average vehicle speed was between 18-20 km per hour. This has now come down to half —around 10 km per hour. Mr Anand explained: “Speed has reduced even during non-peak-traffic hours. This establishes that it is because of bad road conditions.”
Motorists have lashed out at the government, complaining that even vehicle-maintenance charges have gone up. “Fuel consumption has increased due to bad roads. Cars and two-wheelers are taking a beating. I have spent Rs 1,000 to repair my two-wheeler just two months after having spent Rs 4,000 on its overhaul,” said C.S.R. Srinivasan of East Marredpally. R&D engineering-in-chief Gandgadharam said road laying and repair works which would cost Rs 26 crore were being taken up. GHMC chief engineer K. Suresh claimed that Rs 8 crore worth road repairs would soon begin.