Blind spots and speeding cars make Gachibowli crossing a daily gamble

Hyderabad: The junction beneath the flyover beside Sarath City Capital Mall in Gachibowli has become a nightmare for pedestrians and IT employees from nearby corporate offices who cross the road either to reach the mall or the Hitec City bus station on the opposite side.The junction is a four-way intersection that lacks basic pedestrian-friendly facilities such as zebra crossings, pedestrian signals and lane markings. This forces people to rely on hand signals and navigate through speeding vehicles to cross the road, placing their lives at risk. During a field visit to the spot on Saturday, it was evident that the junction is a high-risk zone for pedestrians, and crossing the road amid the heavy traffic was easier said than done.TOI spoke to several pedestrians who regularly cross the road at the junction, and they shared accounts of the difficulties they face. "Every day, during my afternoon break, I walk to the mall from my office in Gachibowli. There have been numerous instances where I have almost been hit by a vehicle, as drivers travel at high speeds with no regard for pedestrians crossing the road," said B Sathvika, who works for an MNC.Alish Naity, a consultant with an IT firm in Hitec City, said waiting times at the junction during peak hours sometimes exceed 15 minutes. "The mall is only a few metres from the bus stop, and it shouldn't take more than a few seconds to cross the road. However, with the constant movement of vehicles and no regular stoppage intervals, we are forced to wait for long periods to find a safe moment to get to the other side," he said.Road safety experts have also attributed the danger to flaws in the flyover's engineering, stating that its positioning and the alignment of adjoining roads have created hazardous conditions that put pedestrians at severe risk. "The pillars of the flyover create a blind spot for both vehicles and pedestrians, making it difficult for approaching vehicles to notice people crossing. This has led to accidents. Even last year, a person died on the spot after being hit by a speeding vehicle at the junction," said Lokendra Singh, a state govt-certified road safety trainer."Discussions are underway to install a skywalk at the junction directly connecting the mall to the botanical garden. Since there is already a flyover, a regular foot overbridge was not considered feasible. Instead, we invited proposals for a skywalk, for which HUMTA has prepared a detailed project report. Once the feasibility of installing the skywalk is established, tenders will be floated," said Kontham Chandrashekhar Reddy, ACP of Madhapur traffic.