Heavy Vehicle Reverses on ORR Towards Gachibowli, Exposing Safety Lapses

A heavy vehicle blocked traffic and reversed in the wrong direction between exits 11 and 12 towards Gachibowli on the Outer Ring Road, creating a hazardous situation where a car narrowly escaped a collision. The incident occurred on August 15 and came to widespread attention on Thursday after footage went viral, highlighting ongoing enforcement issues on the expressway.

During the incident, the heavy vehicle completely slowed down in the middle of the road and remained stationary for a couple of minutes. The driver subsequently attempted to reverse the vehicle across the access-controlled expressway in an effort to exit the ORR by driving the wrong way.

When the driver reversed the heavy vehicle, a major portion of the carriageway was obstructed. Other motorists travelling along the route were left with only a single lane adjacent to the central median to move forward, forcing trailing cars to squeeze past the obstruction.

The incident has brought renewed scrutiny to the Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited, a wing of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, over the lack of enforcement on the corridor. The toll collection, operation, and maintenance of the ORR were awarded to IRB Infrastructure Developers for a 30-year period on a Toll, Operate, and Transfer basis.

Despite the operational framework, frequent traffic offences and fatal accidents continue to be recorded along the 158 km stretch. Common infractions on the expressway include wrong-route driving, persistent lane indiscipline, and failure to follow speed limits.

Parked trucks also remain a significant and recurring hazard on the ORR. Several casualties were recently reported as a result of parked trucks on the carriageway, yet unauthorised stops and dangerous manoeuvres continue on the route.