Biryani, fried rice & traffic: Parked vehicles take big bite out of Hyderabad’s IT corridor

HYDERABAD: A long line of food stalls - attracting scores of patrons throughout the day - on one of the busiest routes in the city has become a major reason for traffic gridlock in Madhapur.These stalls, right next to a star hotel, sell everything from biryani and fried rice to kathi rolls and juices, and have become a popular spot for professionals in the IT corridor. However, it comes at a cost. Visitors park their vehicles occupying almost half of the busy thoroughfare."The traffic is already pretty bad during rush hour and the parked vehicles near food stalls make the road even narrower. Some people who come by car park near the divider between the road and the hotels, leaving no space for even an auto to move," said an auto driver who regularly takes the route, speaking on condition of anonymity.

More than 30 stalls operate on this stretch. While shops set up on pavement are open from morning to midnight, smaller stalls occupy part of the road from 8pm to midnight."A few months ago, there were more stalls and the traffic congestion was much worse. Now, the police have removed some stalls and the traffic situation has improved slightly. However, if the traffic situation is to improve, the stalls will have to be removed," said Dhanashekharan Parthiban, an app-based driver who regularly takes this route.

Eatery owners here say they are not to be blamed for causing traffic snarls as their stalls are not on the road."These shops have been here for over 10 years," said Konda Rohit, who runs Aaha Foods, a biryani joint. "We are running them legally, too. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) came and checked our licences a week ago and did not have a problem with any of the shops. If the GHMC doesn't have an issue, why should anybody else have a problem with our set-up?"K Prashanth, who owns Special Kati Rolls, a roadside stall, said: "Earlier, we used to open the shop from 6pm to midnight, but the police asked us to open from 8pm to midnight due to traffic concerns, and we have abided by this.""This is our life. We don't have anything else to do. This location gives us the chance to serve customers and make good money," he said.Monitoring the situation constantly: PoliceMeanwhile, the police said they have been monitoring the situation constantly. "Some shops have approached the high court and have been granted permission to remain open until an alternative location is provided. We issue fines to shops that don't have clearance, and it's up to the court to decide what action to take against them," said Kontham Chandrashekhar Reddy, ACP traffic, Madhapur division.