In the wake of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Telangana, motorists on Sunday had to face a harrowing time on the roads as traffic came to a standstill for almost 40 minutes to make way for the PM’s motorcade.
Even before the PM landed in his chopper at around 5 pm, traffic between Begumpet and LB Stadium was cleared with the police halting vehicles at Rasoolpura, Somajiguda, Begumpet, Green Lands, and Khairatabad.
A senior IAS officer who was coordinating the Mission Bhagiratha project in the CM’s Gajwel constituency, was among hundreds of people caught up in the traffic near the Begumpet flyover. The officer eventually got off from the car and walked to his residence in Kundabagh.
“Police put up a barricade at the entrance of Kundanbagh, barring vehicles underneath Begumpet flyover. They held it up for more than 30 minutes. Pedestrians were also not allowed to cross the barricade. All had to stand on the road until the VVIP's convoy left,“ Ameerpet resident Rammohan said.
Not only was the traffic a mess, cab aggregators like Uber more than doubled their rates with a ride from Sainikpuri to Banjara Hills, which should otherwise cost Rs 200, being quoted at Rs 450. “Since the traffic conditions were not conducive, the prices shot up. However, we will regulate it soon,“ a Uber representative said.
Residents were also forced to miss out on their favourite meals, as food apps like Swiggy went offline between 1pm and 7pm. One of the denizens who tried to order got this message, “As the honourable prime minister will be visiting, our services will be paused from 1 to 7 pm. Enjoy an early lunch today.”
Modi had arrived in Telangana to inaugurate six projects including Mission Bhagiratha for piped water, a power plant by National Thermal Power Corporation and a health university.