Hyderabad’s Cyberabad Traffic Police and civic authorities are planning a 7-km counterflow Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) pilot for TGSRTC buses on the JNTU–Hitec City–Raidurgam–Financial District corridor, aiming to reduce peak-hour delays and make bus journeys through the city’s main IT district more reliable.
The proposed arrangement would allow buses to travel against the normal direction of general traffic on a dedicated section of the corridor. Unlike a conventional bus lane, which follows the direction of surrounding vehicles, a counterflow lane requires a separately controlled path, clear markings and safety measures to prevent conflicts with oncoming traffic.
Authorities are examining how buses would enter and leave the dedicated section, as the vehicles would eventually need to merge with regular traffic. These transition points are expected to be important to the trial’s design because poorly managed merges could create new bottlenecks or safety risks.
The Raidurgam Metro Station junction is a key focus of the assessment. Officials are studying traffic movement, merging conditions and possible conflict points around the junction before deciding how the pilot can be implemented without disrupting general traffic flow.
Around 15 buses currently operate along the corridor every hour, according to TGSRTC officials. The corporation is assessing whether additional services could be introduced and accommodated within the proposed arrangement. The pilot is therefore being considered not only as a lane-management measure, but also as a possible way to improve the capacity and reliability of bus services serving the IT corridor.
The proposal follows a traffic assessment conducted by the Foundation for Resources and Innovations Policy in coordination with the Society for Cyberabad Security Council. The assessment identified roadside parking, encroachments, poor lane discipline, unauthorised stoppages and junction conflicts as major contributors to congestion. It also highlighted inadequate bus bays, shelters, footpaths and pedestrian facilities.
These conditions mean the proposed lane would have to operate alongside changes to bus stops and pedestrian movement. Authorities are also examining conventional kerb-side bus lanes and improvements to bus stops and pedestrian facilities as alternatives or complementary measures.
The proposal draws on the broader principle used by established BRT systems such as Mexico City’s Metrobús, which operates exclusive bus lanes and designated stations. However, the Cyberabad plan would use a counterflow arrangement with different operating and safety requirements.
The counterflow BRT remains at the assessment and trial-planning stage. Authorities will use the physical trial and subsequent traffic studies to determine whether buses can move more efficiently and safely without worsening congestion for other road users.
