Hyderabad: Pedestrians frequenting the busy Secunderabad railway station find it very difficult to access key multimodal transit points such as Rathifile bus stand and Secunderabad East metro station due to lack of proper footpaths.
Especially during the morning and evening rush hours, commuters are forced to share the road space with moving vehicles, endangering their own lives and causing traffic disruption.
The shrinking footpaths are also encroached upon by traffic lights, hoardings and stalls.
“Every morning it’s like playing a video game,” said Abhijeet, a student who commutes through the metro station every day. “We are forced to walk on the road because the footpath is either blocked or too narrow. I have had close calls at times.”
Buses have also started stopping to pick up passengers much earlier than the designated bus stop. “I ply this route every day and the situation has only worsened,” said Mohd Hussain, an auto driver. “It’s easier for us to pick up passengers from the Secunderabad East metro station, but the traffic police won’t let us stop there as the crowds block the movement of vehicles.”
Amidst these concerns, another daily commuter, Lakshmi, said: “During the rainy season, it becomes absolutely impossible to walk here. The drainage is poor and the narrow space becomes slippery and dangerous.”
When contacted, a GHMC official on condition of anonymity said, “The footpath near this area is partly maintained by the Hyderabad Metro, we will try to address this issue jointly.”
Especially during the morning and evening rush hours, commuters are forced to share the road space with moving vehicles, endangering their own lives and causing traffic disruption.
The shrinking footpaths are also encroached upon by traffic lights, hoardings and stalls.
“Every morning it’s like playing a video game,” said Abhijeet, a student who commutes through the metro station every day. “We are forced to walk on the road because the footpath is either blocked or too narrow. I have had close calls at times.”
Buses have also started stopping to pick up passengers much earlier than the designated bus stop. “I ply this route every day and the situation has only worsened,” said Mohd Hussain, an auto driver. “It’s easier for us to pick up passengers from the Secunderabad East metro station, but the traffic police won’t let us stop there as the crowds block the movement of vehicles.”
Amidst these concerns, another daily commuter, Lakshmi, said: “During the rainy season, it becomes absolutely impossible to walk here. The drainage is poor and the narrow space becomes slippery and dangerous.”
When contacted, a GHMC official on condition of anonymity said, “The footpath near this area is partly maintained by the Hyderabad Metro, we will try to address this issue jointly.”
