#SundayFunday: Rejoice! Sunday evenings are now traffic-free on Tank Bund

After staying cooped up at home for over a year, many Hyderabadis came out with their family members to

Tank Bund

road on

Sunday

for a leisurely stroll.

For once, there was no sound of honking or traffic snarls in the area as Tank Bund turned into a pedestrian zone between 5pm to 10pm on Sunday. It all started with a tweet from MA & UD Minister KT Rama Rao who responded to a request from a citizen on Twitter and advised traffic cops to make Tank Bund into a

traffic-free

zone every Sunday evening. The initiative kick-started on August 29 and received a huge thumbs up from Hyderabadis who thronged the

lake road

with their families, clicking selfies, strolling on the streets and enjoying

food

by the lakeside.

“I’ve been living in Hyderabad for over two decades and I’ve never seen Tank Bund look so beautiful. It was really pleasant to take a stroll on the road without all the traffic. It felt like we were in a

European

city. There were a few teething issues regarding traffic but I’m sure it will be resolved soon. This is going to be my favourite Sunday spot from now on,” shares Maithili Sharma, government employee from RTC X Roads.

Umesh Chandra, an entrepreneur, adds, “Bird watching at Tank Bund is one of my biggest hobbies and I’ve always been disturbed by how vehicular movement disrupted the birds. However, on Sunday evening, it was a sight to behold as there were no vehicles across the Tank Bund road. Not just pigeons, but many birds were seen happily hopping on the streets. I hope the government extends this move to both Saturday and Sunday going forward.”

For many Hyderabadis, it was a relief to take their kids out for an evening stroll. B Payal, who has a 10-year-old child, says, “Kids need to be out in the open and they need to be able to play in the streets and enjoy themselves. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we have been cooped up indoors for many months and even after things unlocked, there aren’t many places to take my child out to play. But on Sunday, my son had a great time playing on the streets of Tank Bund. I’ll be back again next Sunday.”

Sunday Strolls at Tank BundWhen? Tank Bund to be traffic-free zone every Sunday from 5-10pm
What is allowed? Only pedestrians and cyclists will be allowed on Tank Bund road. No other vehicular movement permitted
Where to park? Ambedkar Statue to Lepakshi, Dr Cars, Behind Buddha Bhavan, New MLA Quarters, NTR Grounds, Near Andhra Secretariat