Gridlock warning: Hyderabad slipping into Bengaluru-like traffic chaos; average speeds drop to 18.4 kmph

HYDERABAD: The city is fast slipping into a Bengaluru-like traffic crisis, with average speeds dropping sharply from 25 kmph to 18.4 kmph in less than a year, according to latest traffic data. The city has now fallen behind even Mumbai and Delhi, which are clocking average speeds of 20.8 kmph and 25 kmph respectively.Bengaluru – India's most congested metro –is only marginally worse than Hyderabad at 16.6 kmph.Experts say an optimum average traffic speed in metro cities should be between 25kmph and 30 kmph.A key driver is the rapid growth in vehicle population, which has matched Bengaluru's pace in recent years. Between 2021 and 2024, Hyderabad registered nearly 18 lakh personal vehicles, including two-wheelers and cars, almost equal to Bengaluru's 19 lakh additions during the same period.The city's 900-km primary road network is carrying more than 88 lakh vehicles, making daily commuting increasingly nightmarish. If current trends continue, Hyderabad is projected to cross the one-crore vehicle mark by 2027–28.Moreover, Hyderabad has one of the highest vehicle densities in the country. The city now has nearly 9,500 vehicles per km on major roads—up from about 6,500 per km in 2019.Explosive growthWhile the city's road network has largely remained unchanged, the traffic load in Greater Hyderabad has doubled over the last decade. The number of registered vehicles has jumped from around 45 lakh in 2016 to nearly 88 lakh by the end of 2025, underlining how congestion has intensified.The pace of growth is relentless. On average, at least 1,500 new vehicles are added to Hyderabad's roads every day and the annual registrations have climbed steadily—from 3.7 lakh in 2021 to nearly 5 lakh in 2025. In fact, during the last four years alone, over 15 lakh new vehicles have entered the city. Four-wheelers, in particular, have increased rapidly from 9.2 lakh in 2017 to 17.6 lakh in 2025.Need 200 acres of space for new vehicles every yearAccording to RTA officials, increasing dependence on private vehicles has compounded the problem. "Nearly 35% of road space is occupied by two-wheelers and four-wheelers on an average day, rising to 45% during peak hours. With the steady addition of cars, the city would require around 200 acres of additional parking space just to accommodate new vehicles," K Ilambarithi, commissioner, Telangana Transport department told TOI.He pointed out that many global cities are addressing congestion through policies such as promoting public transport, encouraging car-pooling, providing subsidies for buses, and allocating dedicated lanes for high-occupancy vehicles. Similar measures, Ilambarithi says, need to be urgently adopted in Hyderabad.On the other hand, urban planners also warn that without government intervention, Hyderabad's traffic crisis will worsen, leading to increased commute times, fuel consumption, and air pollution.Commuters lose days in traffic: SurveyA recent survey by TomTom, a Netherlands-based location and navigation technology firm, has highlighted the extent of traffic congestion in Hyderabad, revealing how commuters lose precious time navigating clogged roads. According to this study, every motorist in Hyderabad spends over five days a year stuck in traffic jams, underscoring the city's worsening congestion crisis. The findings place Hyderabad among the top 10 ‘mega-slow' cities in the world, beating global metros such as New York, London and Tokyo.The survey also found that commuters in the city spend around 123 hours annually battling traffic, with travel time averaging 32.3 minutes to cover a 10-km stretch. The city's vehicular traffic drops further to 16.1 kmph during evening peak hours, the survey revealed.What experts sayExperts say that traffic congestion is an urban or suburban problem with Hyderabad, one of the fastest growing metropolitan cities in the country is also grappling with congestion and its multi-dimensional externalities in terms of increased commute time, delay, increased traffic crashes, and poor air quality adversely impacting the overall quality of life of Hyderabad residents. "Effective transportation demand management (TDM) strategies need to be planned and implemented across Hyderabad in a systematic manner. Congestion pricing implementation across selected congested locations during peak hour can also be an interesting solution. Simultaneously, improvements in sidewalk and crosswalk infrastructure across Hyderabad, efficient city-wide parking management systems can ease the existing conditions," said Bandhan Bandhu Majumdar, associate professor, Transportation Research Innovation Analysis Laboratory, BITS Pilani Hyderabad.Another expert, TS Reddy, a retired official from the Central Road Research Institute, attributes the crisis to poor road design, weak enforcement, lack of public transport integration, and unplanned urbanisation."Hyderabad's traffic problem is not just about vehicles—it reflects policy failure and flawed urban form. The city has expanded horizontally without proportionate investment in public transit or last-mile connectivity," he warned.SEE how global cities are managing trafficSingaporeThe city-state feeds real-time data from cameras and road sensors into AI-driven systems, which adjust traffic signals. Singapore enforces a congestion pricing system that automatically charges motorists for using busy roads during peak hours, with rates varying by traffic conditions. A highly reliable public transport system also helps.ZurichSwitzerland’s largest city uses a dense network of sensors to feed real-time data into the adaptive ‘ZuriTraffic’ control system. This platform dynamically adjusts traffic signals to regulate access to the city centre and prevent congestion before it builds up. Public transport, cyclists and pedestrians are given priority at major intersections. SeoulThe South Korean capital operates a data-driven smart mobility framework using real-time inputs from buses, taxis via GPS, road sensors and CCTV networks. These are integrated into advanced platforms like the arterial traffic management system and the freeway traffic management system, which manage signals, detect incidents, regulate freeway traffic and provide real-time updates to commuters. AmsterdamThe Dutch capital relies on city-wide monitoring using cameras, sensors and inductive loops to manage traffic in real time. Traffic operators reroute vehicles during congestion and give priority to public transport, cyclists and pedestrians. The city’s approach focuses on reducing car dependency while ensuring smooth movement through smart signal control and integrated mobility planning.ParisThe French megapolis has adopted aggressive traffic control measures by creating low-traffic zones and sharply reducing car access in the city centre. Paris has also expanded cycling infrastructure through dedicated bike lanes and the bike-sharing system, while simultaneously strengthening and incentivising public transport.