Now we know why city traffic is a mess

Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority, whose job is to oversee implementation of various traffic and transportation measures undertaken by various government agencies in the state capital, has met only 11 times in the nine years since it was constituted in 2008.

In the three years since the state was formed, the UMTA has met just twice, the last time in February.

The UMTA is headed by the chief secretary and comprises the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, TS Road Transport Corporation, Road Transport Authority, municipal administration and urban development department, South Central Railway, Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited, TS Pollution Control Board and the police.

Citizens have appealed to the UMTA to meet and take stock of situation regularly — at least once a year — going by the absence of more frequent meetings in the past.

One issue that the UMTA can deal with is introduction of common ticketing system for Railways and RTC so that passengers could interchange between MMTS trains and city bus services without any hassles.

According to M. Padmanabha Reddy, secretary for Forum for Good Governance, transport woes are still persisting despite city having MMTS network and bus services. In the near future, Metro Rail will be added to the list, he said, stressing the need for proper co-ordination between all these agencies for a better and improved transport system in the city.

Traffic woes in Hyderabad are the highest in the rainy season and proper planning and better co-ordination between the different government departments is the need of the hour and this is where UMTA can play a pro-active role by holding regular meetings at least between June to September, an activist said.