Violate curbs, enter into city

metro india news  I hyderabad

Hyderabad’s roads have turned into danger zones, as thousands of heavy vehicles and private buses continue to ply freely in blatant violation of traffic restrictions. Despite clear prohibitory orders, over-loaded trucks and inter-state private buses from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra continue to flood city roads — turning every commute into a gamble with life. The silence of the police and transport department officials, allegedly content with routine “settlements,” has drawn sharp criticism from citizens who now travel with fear every day.

The city’s vehicle count tells a story of chaos. By the end of 2024, over 88 lakh vehicles were registered across the three police commissionerates — Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda. Hyderabad alone accounts for more than 70 lakh vehicles, nearly half of Telangana’s total of 1.5 crore. Every single day, about 1,500 new vehicles are added to the already choked streets. Among these, heavy goods carriers and private buses form a significant portion, compounding both congestion and accident risks.

Official data reveals that as of March 2024, 6.6 lakh goods carriers, 1.45 lakh motor cabs, and 27,000 maxi cabs move daily within the city limits. To this, add the 3,000 RTC buses and thousands of private inter-state buses — and Hyderabad’s roads are literally bursting at the seams. Despite official restrictions between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., private buses continue to enter and operate in busy zones, openly flouting the law.

According to official notifications (TRT4/685/2024, dated February 20, 2024), heavy commercial vehicles — including trailers, tippers, and trucks (N3, T4 category) — are banned inside city limits between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. 

Medium-sized vehicles like DCMs and Eicher trucks (N2, T3 category) face curbs from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Private buses are not allowed from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., while only RTC buses are exempt. Construction debris carriers (C&D vehicles) too face restricted hours. However, all these rules exist only on paper.

Ground reality paints a grim picture. Private buses, often with blaring horns and reckless drivers, are seen racing through Ameerpet, Miyapur, Kukatpally, and BHEL areas well past the restricted hours. Early morning visuals of Vijayawada-bound buses entering through the Outer Ring Road (ORR) long before 8 a.m. are common. By the time traffic peaks at 10 a.m., these buses are still dropping off passengers in the heart of the city. In the evenings, from as early as 6 p.m., they start picking up passengers again, causing chaos and near-misses.

The result: lives are being lost. Between 2023 and 2024, around 58 fatalities were reported in the Cyberabad police limits alone due to heavy vehicle-related accidents. Citizens allege that police and transport staff prefer to look the other way, often compromising enforcement for bribes. While officials claim to have booked 75,000 cases in 2024 against trucks and buses entering during banned hours, locals believe that’s only a fraction of the real violations.

Adding to the danger are construction material carriers — tippers and dumpers that transport stones, sand, and debris without covers, leaving dust trails and road hazards. The negligence of both departments — police and transport — has made city roads perilous. Pedestrians, bikers, and car drivers are forced to navigate alongside multi-tonne vehicles roaring through narrow roads at all hours.

For a city already battling severe air and noise pollution, the menace of heavy vehicles has become the last straw. Every honk, every overloaded truck, every late-night private bus is a reminder that Hyderabad’s road safety system is collapsing under administrative apathy. Citizens are demanding that the government intervene immediately and ensure strict enforcement before the city loses more lives to this unchecked menace.