Hyderabad: Even as the govt has begun nudging IT companies to take steps to reduce traffic congestion in the city’s IT hubs, especially during monsoons when heavy rainfall leaves roads waterlogged and gridlocked, the Society for Cyberabad Security Council (SCSC) has begun working with IT companies and Cyberabad police to ease traffic congestion.SCSC secretary general Ramesh Kaza told TOI that the council has held interactions with corporates, the Cyberabad police commissionerate and DCPs over the past week to 10 days to identify measures to manage peak-hour traffic in the IT corridor.He said they are already working on rolling out initiatives like staggering employee log-out timings from various IT parks, promoting carpooling and issuing real-time traffic alerts with the help of the traffic police, Kaza explained.Pointing out that even a 10- to 20-minute variation in employee exit timings from different offices or buildings across various IT parks could significantly reduce traffic pressure on the roads, he said SCSC is recommending coordinated logouts at 10-minute intervals across major campuses such as DLF, Raheja Mindspace, Sattva Knowledge Park, Knowledge City and RMZ Nexity to prevent thousands of vehicles rushing onto the roads in IT hubs simultaneously.However, some IT industry leaders TOI spoke to said no formal system has been put in place, and no official mandates have been triggered. The head of an MNC global capability centre in Hitech City said most companies have, in any case, already been operating in hybrid mode post-Covid and have been giving employees flexibility to leave earlier in case of heavy rain alerts.HYSEA president Flt Lt Bipin Pendyala said the industry has not seen any formal discussions around mandatory staggered logout timings, largely because work patterns have already changed.“A majority of the IT companies in Hyderabad have adopted a hybrid work model, except for companies with specific or critical operations,” Pendyala said. “The problem with Hyderabad is unique as our entire IT corridor is located in just a 1 km radius, be it Madhapur or Gachibowli and Financial District, so the density is extremely high, leading to traffic congestion.”He said rainfall alerts have already triggered behavioural changes across companies, with employees leaving early to avoid being stuck on waterlogged roads. “Whenever we get a MET report or rainfall alert, people automatically log out earlier. There is no specific directive in place or required to be put in place, as companies are not checking what time employees are checking out. Employees log in and out as is convenient,” he said.Pendyala pointed out that the shift to flexible work hours has not just led to staggered and early office exits, but has also created a new traffic pattern. “You now have a peculiar problem. The peak traffic, which earlier used to be between 5.30 and 7 pm, has now shifted to 4.30 pm as people are logging out earlier. So 4.30 pm has become the new 5.30 pm,” he said.IT top guns pointed out that while the govt can always issue advisories, companies are unlikely to require or heed a formal directive unless the situation is extraordinary.“It is nice to get an advisory, but I don’t see any specific imperative. The govt can suggest but can’t dictate unless there is a national emergency or major calamity. The govt can issue an advisory and the industry is happy to take the advisory,” Pendyala said.Meanwhile, Kaza said SCSC is also revisiting carpooling with police and transport authorities, as earlier efforts ran into regulatory roadblocks. He said SCSC is examining a model in which employees could register through a company or app-based aggregator, allowing cost-sharing without creating regulatory concerns over commercial use of private vehicles.He pointed out that SCSC has already partnered with Tanla to build Cyberabad Traffic Pulse, a free citizen app created a year ago that provides live alerts on breakdowns, congestion and alternative routes.Kaza said 30,000 to 40,000 users have registered for the app, to which police feed real-time data using AI-enabled cameras installed at strategic locations through SCSC member donations in the IT corridor.SCSC has also been sharing traffic and weather updates sourced through Telangana Weatherman, with whom it has an MoU, across corporate WhatsApp groups.
