C V Anand: Traffic defines Hyderabad’s character, needs tech-driven solutions

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Police Commissioner C V Anand on Thursday said traffic is the most visible reflection of a city’s character and directly impacts its liveability and growth.

Speaking at the Traffic and Road Safety Summit 2025, organised by the Hyderabad City Security Council (HCSC) in collaboration with Hyderabad City Police at Jal Vihar, Necklace Road, Anand noted that Hyderabad has over 92 lakh registered vehicles, with nearly 1,500 being added daily.

“Traffic is the city’s face. With such rapid growth, traffic management is central to Hyderabad’s reputation as a safe and liveable city,” he said.

The commissioner termed congestion both a quality-of-life issue and an economic challenge. He highlighted initiatives such as Operation ROPE (Removal of Obstructive Parking and Encroachments), advanced signal management, drone and camera-based monitoring, and a partnership with Google for AI-driven solutions. He reported that Apollo Hospitals and other corporate partners supported the deployment of 120 trained traffic marshals, and they were giving traffic police a 30% pay incentive.

Road safety is about saving lives, says Governor

Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, while inaugurating the summit, reminded everyone that traffic safety is not just about clearing jams on the road, but protecting lives. He urged people to not just know the traffic rules but to actually follow them in their daily commute. He also called for equitable safety measures across both Old City and New City.

Shared responsibility and future action

HCSC Secretary General C Shekhar Reddy said lasting safety depends on “collective ownership.” Additional CP Vikram Singh Mann highlighted multi-stakeholder participation, while V Rajashekhar Reddy flagged the mismatch between vehicle growth and road capacity, urging integrated mobility and equitable infrastructure.