Title - Call for speedy completion of metro rail

HYDERABAD: Terming the city's transport system as a major cause of worry, C V Anand, additional commissioner of police (traffic), on Friday stressed the need for speedy completion of metro lines and removal of bottlenecks and obstructions on the city's major roads. Speaking at a workshop on transport strategy for Hyderabad metropolitan area, he highlighted some of the major transportation issues of the city and pointed out the areas which require special attention.Anand said that the number of vehicles was increasing alarmingly in the city but the road area had remained the same for around five years. "Removing natural and man-made obstructions, relocating religious bottlenecks and electric poles on widened roads would increase the road area by around 20%," said C V Anand.Talking about the few roads used by most people on a daily basis, he said that S P Road, Road No.1 Banjara Hills and the road leading to Hi-Tec City usually face traffic jams during rush hours everyday. Lack of alternative roads shows the lack of planning when it comes to connectivity.He added, "City roads need to be made safer, especially for pedestrians as footpaths across the city are being encroached upon and crossing a road is very difficult." Later, he emphasised on the need for MMTS phase II and metro in the city. The workshop, conducted by the HMDA and Fapcci, aimed at planning transportation strategies in the city for the next 30 years and also presented the data collected by a Comprehensive Transportation Study ( CTS) being conducted here. The study showed that traffic on city roads has increased by 108% from 1999; while two-wheeler ownership has quadrupled in this period, number of people using buses has been stagnant for over five years.