Hyderabad apartment pick-up and drop-off zones could become mandatory under proposed building-bylaw changes being prepared by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) to reduce congestion outside large residential communities.
Under the proposed norms, large apartment complexes built in the future would have to reserve dedicated internal space for cabs, IT company vehicles, school buses and private vehicles to pick up and drop off passengers. The move is intended to prevent vehicles from stopping on main roads and contributing to traffic jams near apartment entrances.
HMDA is preparing to amend its existing building bylaws, though the detailed guidelines have not yet been finalised. The authority’s rules currently cover matters including cellars, setbacks and parking, with separate provisions applying within municipal corporations and HMDA limits.
The proposal follows an interim traffic study conducted by the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) and Lea Associates across Hyderabad’s Core Urban Region. The interim report submitted to HMDA includes recommendations aimed at addressing chronic roadside congestion in the city.
Among the suggestions is the development of about 22 of Hyderabad’s most congested junctions. The report also recommends constructing new bus stops and modifying existing ones to improve integration between Metro services, Telangana State Road Transport Corporation buses and the Multi-Modal Transport System.
The proposed apartment rule focuses on a recurring point of conflict between private residential development and the public road network. Vehicles serving large communities often need to stop near gates to collect or drop passengers, while the available internal space may not be designed to handle simultaneous movement by cabs, school buses, office shuttles and private cars. Under the planned amendment, future large apartment projects would have to provide a designated internal area instead.
The proposal would apply to new large apartment communities if the amended bylaws come into force. Existing complexes were not identified in the report as being covered by the proposed requirement.
HMDA is expected to finalise detailed guidelines before the bylaw amendment is implemented. The authority’s next steps will determine the size and design requirements for the internal zones, the apartment projects covered by the rule and how compliance will be assessed during the building-approval process.
