The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Tortuous Thursday for motorists

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Tortuous Thursday for motorists

Staff Reporter

The last minute rush to file IT returns and a religious procession leads to severe traffic congestion

HYDERABAD: The last minute rush to file IT returns and a religious procession taken out on the main thoroughfares led to a major traffic jam in the city on Thursday.

Utter chaos reigned during the evening peak hours even as the traffic went bumper-to-bumper and those returning from offices had a harrowing experience due to chaotic traffic on the main stretches at Ameerpet, Punjagutta and Begumpet following a religious procession.

The lanes and bylanes connecting these areas were also blocked for more than two hours.

Though the hapless traffic police diverted the traffic to ease congestion, the situation did not improve. “It took nearly two hours to reach my home from Jubilee Hills. It’s a torture to travel on this route”, said T. Sai Charan, a computer operator and resident of Regimental Bazaar in Secunderabad.

Police, however, claimed that pothole-riddled roads followed by a religious procession were the main reasons for the chaotic traffic problem in Ameerpet and surrounding areas.

“We took necessary steps to prevent traffic jams. But the evening peak hour rush coupled with potholes on the Ameerpet road compounded the problem”, said Punjagutta Traffic Inspector K.M. Madhu.

Filing returns

Almost similar was the situation at Basheerbagh, Lakdi-ka-pul, Saifabad, Liberty and Khairatabad flyover. Road users were caught in the gridlock for almost an hour with motorists parking their vehicles in a haphazard manner in front of Income Tax office at BRK Bhavan near Secretariat for filing IT returns.

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