Looking for Leaders - continued...

Abhinay, Rahul and I met the Additional DCP (Traffic) for Cyberabad, Mr. Ashok Reddy today to discuss about our plan. He really liked the idea and has asked us to submit a proposal stating what we want to do and how we want to do it.
We hope to submit the proposal by next week. Meanwhile, here's how you can help:

• Spread the word - chances of this project being successful get better if more people are aware of it.
• Speak to your HR/powers-that-be about pitching in with donations.
• Volunteer to manage this project within your company. You don't even have to step on to the road, just make sure that your company's employees are aware of this project and are willing to try this experiment that is good for everyone.
• If you know any higher ups in any FM channels or newspaper companies that would be willing to become media partners for this project, please pass on their details to us.

Please post your comments.

Looking for Leaders!

A couple of folks got in touch with me last week to work on the traffic problems we face. We have decided to work on the traffic issues based on the strategy in this post.

Also I hope that my nomination for the Pepsi MTV Youth Icon Awards will be helpful in reaching out to more people. ( AND BTW, PLEASE VOTE FOR ME) :)

We are looking for LEADERS who have the drive, passion and commitment to bring about a change in Hyderabad.

It is going to be very tough; It may be a thankless job but it will be very fulfilling. The same people you are trying to help will question your actions. The same people will argue and fight with you, but you will have to look at the bigger picture and carry on!

It will involve a lot of grit and dedication from your end; lot of sweat and tears as well! But when we're successful, we would have made our city a better place to live in- for us and for generations to follow.

The stretch of road we're targeting is from Jubilee Hills checkpost to Kothaguda junction.
Groups of LEADERS will manage the below entities:

• Autos
• Cabs
• APSRTC buses
• Pedestrians
• Citizens who use 4 wheelers and/or 2 wheelers to commute

You will have the chance to work on real problems that plague almost every citizen ... and solve these problems. If you consider yourself a problem solver and believe that you can make a difference, then please join us. Send me an email at sikhoya at gmail dot com or you could also join the Traffic Google group and send an email to the group.

Techie nominated for MTV award

This was the headline of the article in The Hindu about me today.
Incidentally the reporter, Abhijit Dev Kumar, helped a scooterist in a hit and run case this week. A two wheeler rider got hit by a Maruti Suzuki Swift car and the person drove away without bothering to stop. Abhijit then dialed 108(please use this number in case of emergencies - AMAZING Service) and called the ambulance - all this in the middle of the night!

Noticed something here? The scooterist got hit for no fault of his. Just because there was an inept person behind the wheel of a car, some poor soul on the road got hurt. This was exactly what I was trying to avoid by stopping the cab driver from driving rashly, but we all know how that story ended.

Here is the link to The Hindu article:
http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/06/stories/2008110657890200.htm

Excerpt:

Techie nominated for MTV award
Hyderabad: The ire against Hyderabad’s traffic is quite evident in his blog. His initiative, ‘Free the left lane’, inspired young professionals to regulate traffic near the Cyber Towers junction. Meet Sameer Mehta, who was recently nominated for MTV’s Youth Icon Award for his initiative on traffic that started last year through ‘trafficinhyderabad.blogspot.com’.

A solutions architect from Sum Total, an IT company, Sameer often got stuck at the Hitech City crossroads on his way to work. “I saw that most motorists blocking traffic at the junction were well-educated professionals working in IT companies. When I got to work, I decided to write about traffic in the city, especially about keeping the left lane free. Most of the traffic jams are caused because the left lane is blocked,” says Sameer.

With close to 12,000 hits and 68 posts about traffic on his blog since July 2007, Sameer is now making a short documentary on the traffic scenario. To vote for Sameer Mehta, visit ‘ http://www.mtvyouthicon.in.com/nominee.php?id=46566’ or via SMS, “Icon SM” to 56882.

My MTV video

This is the video that will be aired on MTV when my profile is covered:

http://mtvyouthicon.in.com/video.php?id=235

Nominated for the Pepsi MTV Youth Icon 2008 Awards.

I have been nominated for the Pepsi MTV Youth Icon 2008 Awards. This was for the Free The Left Lane project. I had also won the Special Jury Award at the first CNN-IBN Citizen Journalist Awards in the 'Be The Change' Category.

A clip of my acceptance speech: http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/76805/10_2008/cj_awards2510_3a/cj-awards-step-forward-in-inclusive-journalism.html

I think the entire IT community should feel proud of this nomination, because it was a coordinated effort that included techies from different IT companies and it was only their dedication that made this project a success. This project was to show the people that if rules are followed on the road, driving can be a much better experience. I hope this gives a “normal”, “common” techie the inspiration that he too can bring about a change by getting up and taking charge of the problems faced by the society/city/country. Believe me, if you give up without a fight, then nothing will ever improve, but if you firmly believe in making a difference, then you certainly can – one citizen at a time!

I am one of the 30 nominees from all over India and the top 8 nominees (by votes) will be chosen as the Youth Icons and will have their faces printed on special edition Pepsi Cans. Getting nominated for the Youth Icon Awards itself is a big honour, but I'd also like to finish in the top 8 and for that I need your votes.

Online voting: Please vote for me here: http://www.mtvyouthicon.in.com/nominee.php?id=46566

Via SMS: SMS “Icon SM” to 56882 i.e. “Icon SM” to 56882

Spread the word! :)

The Traffic in Hyderabad on 18th Oct... phew

The Traffic was bad in Hyderabad today because of the Aviation Expo. Actually it wasn't bad, it was PATHETIC. The entire stretch of road from Punjagutta to Secunderabad was jam packed.
Here's my experience (unfortunately I didn't carry my camera today or I would have added some great pictures)

I drove from Whitefields, Kondapur to Paradise, Secunderabad and then from Paradise to Charminar.
First traffic jam was at the Greenland flyover. It was so bad that after getting stuck for about 30 minutes there, I took a u-turn from under the flyover and took the Necklace Road route to go to the Secunderabad Railway Station, the intended destination. The Khairatabad flyover was also pretty bad. The traffic cop present at the IMAX circle was not allowing the traffic going to the left (i.e. towards Eat Street) to flow while the traffic from IMAX side was moving-that was wrong. Then on the turn towards Minister Road, there was another traffic jam for no discernible reason and as usual people were causing most of the traffic snarls.
We could not go to the Railway Station so we asked our guest to meet us at Paradise because there was no way that we could have reached the station(a distance of less than 5km) in less than 30-40 minutes. At one of the side lanes next to Paradise (the Sindhi Colony main road) there was an actual deadlock. Traffic was not moving at all and nobody was making an attempt to break the deadlock.
After our lunch, we started again hoping that things would be better in the evening. Things were equally bad and I saw common citizens directing traffic at 2 crossings;trying their best to bring some method in the madness, but I could see them facing the same problems we used to face on the roads - indiffirent drivers who don't realize that these citizens were putting in their time and energy to help . I gave one of them a thumbs up as I drove by and the look on his face said it all - he felt so nice that somebody had recognised his efforts. It was a look of pride, happiness and accomplishment. Pride because his efforts were altruistic. Happiness because somebody else understood what pain he was going through. Accomplishment because he was doing what 99.9% of the other citizens present on the road were not doing and that is being the change he wants to see in others and that my dear readers, is a big accomplishment.

Strategy to counter the growing traffic problems in Hyderabad :In progress

{This is a work in progress. I thought of sharing it here to get your ideas, feedback and hopefully your involvement.}

What would be the best strategy to counter the growing traffic problems in Hyderabad? First, let's identify the various entities that contribute to this problem.

Autos
Cabs
APSRTC buses
Pedestrians
Citizens who use 4 wheelers and/or 2 wheelers to commute
Traffic Police
GHMC/APIIC depending on the area
Government/Political parties

Assuming that we have identified all the parameters, now let's see what would be the best way to deal with them.
First, create SMART goals such as 'Increase compliance with traffic rules' and 'Decongest major traffic junctions'. Lets call them HYDGOALS. These could be further broken down into sub goals that could be mapped to the entities identified above.
Create teams that would concentrate on tackling these areas, headed by a Project Manager. The team would create their own sub goals and then align those with the HYDGOALS. The Autos team would create goals such as ‘Get buy in from major Auto Unions to start following rules'. The APSRTC team would create goals such as 'Ensure buses stop within identified bus bays' and 'Ensure that the average time on routes is increased to reduce pressure on the drivers'.

All these subgoals would eventually roll up to fulfill a HYDGOAL, but by breaking them down, we make it easier to tackle and track them.

{will keep adding more stuff here}

Why do cab drivers drive rashly? First hand account

Yes, I'm talking about the white Indicas that ferry the ITES crowd to their offices. Just today while going to office, on the Durgam Cheruvu road(near the manhole that is spewing out water), this cabbie first cut into the opposite lane by bypassing the speed breaker (Mistake1) and then on seeing an oncoming vehicle it tried to cut into my lane and almost hit my car (Mistake2) where as the cabbie should have slowed down and come in behind my car. I had to break hard to avoid getting hit.
Now this got me furious, not because of what happened to me, but because next time somebody else's car could actually get hit or worse a pedestrian could get badly hurt because of this cabbie. I drove ahead and asked the cabbie to stop;pulled him to a side and asked the passengers (all ITES chaps) which company they were from (won't malign that company be naming it here) and then asked the name of the transport company (forgot the name). To my surprise, the passengers actually got angry..... with me. Imagine that. They had seen how this cabbie had driven, they knew it was this cabbie's fault and yet they started picking a fight with me. Then another cab carrying employees of this same company stopped and those guys who had no idea of what had happened (esp this bald guy who thought he could bully me into submission) started shouting at me.
Then one of the passengers of the original cab said that they didn't expect this from an educated guy. I tell you, I could have garlanded that guy. I said this was exactly my point. "You are educated and you saw how this guy drove, yet instead of making sure that the cabbie drives properly, 10 of you are ganging up against me and telling me that I shouldn't have stopped you this manner". Then this another passenger said... and this is hilarious... he says "I'm a senior manager . What are you telling me about rules"? I almost laughed in his face. How does being a senior manager make you an authority on traffic rules? He was this typical, I'm-a-manager-so-I-will-show-off kind of person And I'm pretty sure that bald guy was this senior manager's direct report because he said "We don't have to talk to these kind of persons, sir. Let's go". I mean hello!!!!! You weren't even there when it happened, Mr Bald Guy.

These are the kind of people we try to save from accidents. I told them that the only reason I stopped the cabbie was to make sure that he doesn't cause anybody else harm. I said that what if he had hit somebody known to you. Your father? Your mother? Would you wait until that happens or will you stop this cabbie from hurting someone before hand?
When things like this happen, you feel hurt and disappointed. For these same people we had stood in the sun to Free the Left Lane;for these same people we put in OUR TIME and EFFORT to solve traffic issues;then these guys just go and let you down so badly. All you are expected to do is do the right thing, to drive safely and to ensure that people around you drive safely. Is that so difficult?

Unbelievable experience. My stand that the people may be engineers/MBAs but may not be educated is exactly because of these kind of people.

Special Jury Mention Award Winner @ the first “Citizen Journalist” Awards

The IBN Network has announced a path breaking editorial initiative of CNN-IBN and IBN7; the Citizen Journalist Awards. This is the first ever Citizen Journalist Awards and I have been chosen for the Special Jury Mention Award in the "Be the Change" Category.

Selection process:

The selection process for the CNN-IBN Citizen Journalist awards is a two-tiered one:

• Editor’s Call: The Editorial heads of Network18 decide the best out of the top 5 entries in each category.

• Jury: Jury votes by eminent citizens

The jury comprises of the following eminent personalities: Dr Kiran Bedi, Madhu Trehan, Neelam Krishnamoorthy, Nandita Das, Rakesyh Mehra, Arvind Kejriwal and Prasoon Joshi.

The awards will be presented on 16th Oct and I will be in Delhi to receive my award.

Here are the links:
http://features.ibnlive.com/features/cjawards/
http://features.ibnlive.com/features/cjawards/bethechange.php

Using Twitter for user generated traffic updates

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

Now that I've copy-pasted that from the Twitter website, let me explain how Twitter could be used by users to generate traffic updates. Let's say you're driving through Mehdipatnam and you see a traffic jam because of an accident or because of some road works in progress. You decide to warn other drivers about this by sending an sms to 556511. People who "follow" you will receive your sms via Twitter and they can then choose to leave early or take another route.
Before GPS enabled maps with real time traffic data becomes more popular, I guess this could be an effective way of creating user generated "traffic maps".

If you like this idea, then create an account at Twitter.com and register your mobile device. Send me an email to let me know you have done this. My email id is available on my blogger profile. I will also send out an email to the Google group and find out if people are interested in trying out this idea.

Some photos sent in by a citizen - Kukatpally (JNTU)-Cyber Towers Route

These photos were sent in by Sundar Paul. This is the stretch of road from JNTU to Cyber Towers. This road was a one way for about 3-4 months and just recently the second lane was reopened.
Many thanks, Sundar!

Road from JNTU to Cyber Towers is now open to traffic

I received this piece of information today, so I thought of posting it on this blog. The road from JNTU to Cyber Towers is now open to traffic. I think it had been closed because of the work going on the flyover.

I haven't checked this on my own and would appreciate if somebody could confirm if this is true by leaving a comment.

How to use the Emergency/parking lights <> while driving on Hyd roads?

Imagine that you're driving on a busy road in Hyderabad and the car in front of you brakes suddenly. You've seen this early and you're sure of braking in time, but what you're not sure is whether the vehicle behind you will also brake in time or whether it will smash into your car!

What I do to avoid being hit by vehicles behind me is to use the Emergency/parking lights to attract the attention of the driver behind me. The brake lights are used so often that people rarely pay any attention to it. These blinking lights are something out of the ordinary, so it comes in handy when a few extra seconds/milliseconds will help avoid any messy collisions. Try it!

690+ blog visitors in one day

** This is not directed at anyone or at any establishment. It's written with the best of intentions and without malice. For all practical reasons, please assume that this post is directed towards my alter ego - The Engineer who breaks rules!**

After my friend, Rahul, sent an email to his company's internal (& informal) email DL, this blog received more than 690 visitors! I assume that most of the visitors were educated. I think I should start saying literate rather than educated, because educated people will/should not break rules. We could know how to read/write but if we cannot perform basic civic duties, then can we really call ourselves educated? What "education" did we receive?

It pains me to see B.Tech, MCA and MBA grads driving as if they were just let loose from the zoo(You know I'm not exaggerating). If they're in an auto or a cab, they take solace in the fact that they're not driving so technically they're not breaking any rules when the cab driver jumps a red light! YOU have to take control. You have to reign in the erring drivers. One stern warning does the trick- tell him that you will get off the auto and not pay him if he doesn't follow the traffic rules. Tell the cab driver that you will get off and hire another cab and that he would have to pay for your fare if he doesn't follow traffic rules! If you really want it, then anything is possible. Don't point fingers at the Police or at the Government. Sure they're not the best, but we should only raise questions to them once we have done our bit and breaking rules is an individual thing. It's wrong, so don't tell me that you're doing it because everyone else is!

I just hope that this triggers the right kind of actions from all of us!

The Traffic Jam at Gachibowli (Opp Hill Ridge)

** Unedited version**

Techies who work in Gachibowli and the Financial District were stuck in a bad traffic jam (Bad? As Jack Nicholson in a Few Good Men asks Tom Cruise, “Is there another kind?”) this morning on the road in front of Hill Ridge Apartments. Lines of vehicles almost reached the traffic junction near IIIT. Looking at the way the traffic was building up, I thought there was a MAJOR problem that was causing this jam – maybe an accident or the road must have been dug up temporarily. Drivers thought that driving on the wrong side would help them steer clear of the traffic jam and they crossed the divider and started causing a jam on the other road also!

Do you know what the problem was? It was a truck that got stuck in the slush while attempting to turn left in front of the Gopichand Badminton Academy towards ISB/Microsoft/Infy and it had taken up one lane of the main Gachibowli road – THAT’S IT (If I missed something, please leave a comment and let me know). That was what caused the traffic jam where people were stuck for more than 30-45 minutes. Can you beat that? Something like this just required drivers to be smart and use the available 2 lanes and drive on ahead. Sure it will cause a bottle neck, but the delay would and should not have been more than 5 minutes. Yet, there was a massive build up of vehicles.

Alright, so even if we ignore the traffic jam for a moment, couldn’t some of those folks travelling in the vehicles have gotten out and helped move the truck and clear up the traffic? Not one person was interested in doing so! Everybody was interested in getting out of the jam even at the cost of bumping their cars into somebody else’s (This happened with us. This gentleman, who works close to where this jam occurred, thought that in order to change his lane, he could bang his car from behind into mine and then get ahead. After narrowly missing hitting my car, he had the audacity to honk his horn at my car all the way until he turned into his company’s parking. I also noticed that he was wearing a white shirt and tie so I assume he was an educated bloke. I don’t want to mention his car make and his company, because it will become easy to identify him. You sir, are exactly the reason why Hyderabad traffic suffers – educated people breaking traffic rules)

I stopped my car and got out to help. After checking out the situation, the Policemen and I tried pushing the truck out and in the process got splattered with slush. After about 5 minutes, a heavy duty machine used for digging was called in and it pulled out the truck. Even after that, people were still driving by slowly. The traffic policemen should have asked the drivers to move quickly to clear up traffic faster. Secondly, they should have stopped the vehicles from crossing the divider because that was slowing down traffic on both sides. After checking that the traffic was moving I left from there covered in mud to come back and write this post!

Why can’t we be considerate drivers? I too had the option of crossing the divider and moving into the wrong lane to get ahead, but I stayed put because I knew that I’d be causing a jam on the other side as well. Why in the first place did this happen? It was just one lane that was blocked and it should not have caused traffic on all 3 roads to stop moving. The reasons are:

· Nobody bothers about other drivers

· Concept of relaxed driving is alien. Everybody wants to get ahead.

· Rules can and will be broken without any thought. People look at the immediate gains rather than long term problems.

Tell me this: if each and everyone of you decided not to break rules from today(atleast the basic ones) and learnt to relax while driving, don’t you think that most of the traffic problems will go away? If this were to happen,

• Traffic junctions would function smoothly because vehicles would not have stopped ahead of a zebra crossing and blocked the road for the other side’s traffic
• Road rage would be minimal
• The competition between vehicles while overtaking would stop. Right now, the way things work is that if there are 2 cars side by side approaching a bus that has stopped on the left side, the car on the left (that is in the bus’s path) should wait to move in to the right lane (the second car’s lane) or wait until the bus moves again. But what happens is that the car on the left would just blow its horn and come on the right lane and the second car has to rely on Schumacher style skills to avoid getting hit. Why the hurry?
• Pedestrians would cross roads only at zebra crossings at traffic junctions or on Foot Over Bridges, instead of crossing, as Shakira would say, Whenever, Wherever!
• Bus would not wait in the middle of the road, but would wait in bus shelters or on the side of the roads
• Auto commuters would not stop and get off right in front of their offices, but would alight at a place that doesn’t hold up traffic. Can’t you walk an extra 20 steps?

So you see, lots of things could happen, but if all of you give up and take the easy way out looking at the immediate gains, then the long term effects of this would be…..pretty bad. You always have a choice, whether you choose to make the right one or the easy one is up to you!

1 year anniversary

Wow!! The traffic blog is a year old. I had it at the back of my mind that I had started this blog sometime in July 2007 and checked today that the blog was started on July 9th, 2007. When I started this blog, I had no idea that it would come this far and contribute in some small way to making the traffic in Hyderabad better.
Let's see what's been done so far:

• The Free The Left Lane(FTLL) campaign was successful, but unfortunately unsustainable without more support from techies and companies.
• Companies that were involved in the FTLL campaign were: SumTotal Systems, Oracle and CSC.
• We got featured on CNN IBN as a Citizen Journalist initiative.
• I got involved with the Right2Walk initiative and I currently hold the post of Secretary in the R2W foundation
• We also got in touch with a campaign that wants the Government of AP to check whether the Metro project is indeed the answer to Hyderabad's traffic woes.

There have been some disappointments as well; I had expected more people (esp the IT professionals) to participate actively in such initiatives, but I guess "Release Dates" is feared more than a traffic jam. No worries, I will continue work on projects that I think will make a difference. If after 10 years you feel that you could've made a difference, but didn't, then you can always come back to this post and leave a comment (I hope this blog will be around 10 years from now).

Some people responded to my idea of a short film on Traffic in Hyderabad by saying that others have tried making films showcasing the insensitive nature of Hyderabadi drivers and that it did not have any positive effect on the traffic condition. Well, lets see if I can change that. Even if one road user changes the way he/she drives/behaves on our roads, then it is worthwhile.

Important: Need pictures and videos on Hyderabad Traffic

I am starting work on a short film/documentary on Hyderabad traffic; the intent is to bring in a change in the way EDUCATED people drive on the roads. Most of us don't realize that we break rules - using the cell phone while driving, drinking and driving, breaking one way rules, etc. If you're in the habit of clicking pictures or recording videos of traffic jams or rules being broken, then can you please email me such pictures?

If you do not already have such pics/videos, and if it's not too much trouble, then can you please carry your camera with you and click away whenever you see traffic jams, accidents, etc? Please spread the word around and ask your friends/colleagues to send in pics as well.

Like I said, the intent is to capture educated people breaking rules. Please let me know if you have some ideas for the documentary.

Is it time to pick up the pace?

I was one of those incorrigble optimists - I believed that the average Hyderabadi cares for Hyderabad and is willing to put in effort to reign in the chaos on the roads. But, as time went by, it started dawning on me that the average Hyderabadi doesn't give a rat's backside to what happens to the other average Hyderbadi on the road. 'Me first, you ... who cares' attitude is ingrained in all of us. The same person who is usually late for office meetings, speeds through traffic because he cannot wait for another 90 seconds. (Arre boss, my time is precious and your life is not, so dont mind me running you over while I jump the red light.) That same guy when he reaches the office will most likely go get a coffee before he starts work. Hmmm... so could he not have waited for 90 seconds for that coffee? (Why should I care about you? My car, my wish, your car, your dent)
Anyway, watch this space for some updates on my plans.

What will happen to India?

I'm worried.
I'm worried for you.
I'm worried that 5 years from now, an ambulance on our roads will be useless.
I'm worried that you can drive like a gentleman on America's roads, but forget the rules when driving on Indian roads.
I'm worried that we only talk and talking accomplishes nothing.
I'm worried that YOU are not worried.

We talk about initiatives, we talk about 'making a difference'.
Why not do something as simple as buying energy efficient cars?
If you stay within 5 kilometers of your office, why not cycle to work? Why such aversion towards using public transportation?
Why do we need more than a 100 tube lights within a 8000 sft office space and why do you need another 50 smaller light bulbs to augment the tube lights' lighting during the day?
Why are our trees being cut without a thought for the environment?
Why are the insurance companies not thinking about the potential (and definite) increase in medical claims that will start 10 years from now (or are they already thinking about this)?

YOU are only interested in making money and buying newer and better things now, but will you be able to drive your fancy car on "wide open roads" 5 years from now?
YOU will rejoice at the birth of your child, but have you thought about the air he will breathe while she is growing up?

You want India to be the next superpower, but drive on India's roads as if it is a jungle
You want the government to give you the best infrastructure, but cross the road in the middle of traffic even when there is a foot over bridge 5 meters away.
You want roads to be widened and the traffic lights to work properly, but will still jump signals because "everybody else is also doing it".
You drive as if you're behind schedule and your time is precious, but pray when was the last time YOU were on time for anything.
You shout at the cabbie who is driving in a one way in the wrong direction, all this while you're driving and telling your wife on the phone what to make for dinner.


This is not rhyme, this is not prose,
The fire is spreading and I have just one hose

Meeting on BRTS on Sunday, 30th March '08

Prof. C. Ramachandraiah is a Reader and also an activist. He is campaigning for Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in Hyderabad instead of the Metro. He will show us a presentation about BRTS and also share the gist of his discussions with a professor who exhaustively studied
about the success of this project in different countries and also analyzed its use for our country.

He wants to share the subject with us all so that we can understand what it is and how is it going to impact us in our daily lives.

Venue will be the office of Center for Economic and Social Studies, Begumpet. It would be a one and half hour session.

Topic: Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS)
Day: Sunday
Date: 30th of March
Timings: 10 am to 12 pm
Venue: Center for Economic and Social Studies, Begumpet, Hyderabad
Speaker: Prof. Ramachandraiah
Contact Number: 9440035405.


Directions as given by Prof. C. Ramachandraiah:

"1. Those coming from Ameerpet, Punjagutta, Srinagar colony can enter Punjagutta colony thru the lane in front of the temple (opp.Srinagar colony road). Proceed straight till dead end along the lane. On the right, there will be a big gate. (Adjacent to the gate is Vasundhara Apartments). Once inside the premises (it's a small campus), proceed to the main building.

2. Those coming from Greenlands side should take Greenlands-Ameerpet road. After Meridian Plaza, take first left lane (adjacent to 'VIP World' shop) and proceed straight till the end. There will be a gate with Genetics Institute's board. Enter and proceed straight. CESS will be there."

New approach road from Toli Chowki to Hitech city

Another approach road to Hitech city has been opened to the public. This is from the Toli Chowli side. Keeping the new Police Commissioner's office to your RIGHT, carry on straight for about 500-800 meters, there is a petrol bunk to your LEFT. Just after this petrol bunk is the turn.

Hope more people start using this so that the load on the CT road is reduced.

I knew that this road was being constructed, but I was not aware that it is already open. I traveled on it today and it cut down on my travel time (coming from Gachibowli to Hitech City).

Pass this on to more people!

Traffic on Durgam Cheruvu (DC) road being streamlined (EDITED)

Well, first post of 2008 and luckily it's still January. :)

(Just editing this post to mention that this initiative was done for a week and a lot of people had appreciated the efforts put in by the CSC volunteers. This was an independent initiative taken up by these committed folks. Good job!!)


Volunteers from CSC have taken up the task of making sure that their aren't any traffic jams on the DC road. For people unfamiliar with Hitech City, the DC road is a road just wide enough to allow 2 lanes of vehicles. What happens, though, is that over zealous drivers (both cabbies and "educated" IT professionals) try to overtake vehicles and end up blocking the road.
The volunteers are making sure that no vehicle breaks the lane and come on to the oncoming vehicle lane.


Again, a very simple concept, much like Free The Left Lane, but the benefits are that people leaving after a hectic day at work, don't get caught up in jams.

Is anyone thinking of the obvious question: why are these people, who hold full time jobs, taking pains to make sure that a total stranger reaches home in a happier and stress free frame of mind?
The answer is that our responsibilities as a citizen do not end with paying taxes. We need to become a society that is aware of its responsibilities; there are so many possibilities for us educated Indian. Sure, things are not the best, but there is nothing stopping us from making them the best. If you don't like the fact that your neighbour is ruining the empty plot next to your apartments by dumping garbage, then call up the GHMC and report it. If nothing happens after that, get in touch with Media (CNN IBN, Aaj Tak, Deccan Chronicle, etc) and seek their help.

I know of one lady who had problems with men who traveled in the ladies only compartments on the MMTS. She has reported this to the authorities and is now following up with them (and the Media) to make sure that this problem gets resolved.


The only thing stopping us from making India/Hyderabad a better place to live is ourselves. You don't have to move mountains to make a difference, just level the pile of dirt in front of you by calling up the Municipality. :) (metaphorically speaking, just in case somebody takes me literally)