The newly-constructed parking to road ramp at Sarath City Mall in Kondapur.

After months of complaints and gridlocks, visitors to Hyderabad’s one of the bigger shopping malls, Sarath City Capital Mall in Kondapur, finally found some relief.

A new 22-foot-wide underpass linking the parking area to the busy Gachibowli–Miyapur road has eased what was once a nightmare for shoppers stuck for hours trying to exit, especially during the weekends.

The parking chaos had become infamous online, with users on Reddit and X sharing exasperated accounts of spending up to two hours trapped underground.

“We spent more than an hour today driving out of the mall parking, that too with little kids. There is not a single person from mall management to regulate the traffic. I’ve seen better parking management in tier-2 towns,” wrote one Reddit user.

Another user broke down the problem: “For vehicles parked on B3 there is always some flux in above floors… the ones on the upward exit ramp are always treated with new vehicles from B2 and same for B2 vehicles near B1 ramp. That’s why vehicles move slower on B3, slightly faster on B2 and fastest on B1.”

The gridlock extended beyond the mall. “Not just mallgoers, that junction is a nightmare for people living around that area,” another user added.

To address the issue, the Cyberabad traffic police and mall authorities constructed a 22-feet (6.7-metre) wide ramp connecting the B1 level of the parking directly to Kothaguda X Roads. The ramp, which opened around Dasara (October 2, 2025), includes a separate bike exit and merges seamlessly with the 60-feet-wide main road.

The 22-feet wide ramp connecting B1 parking to the Gachibowli–Miyapur main road with a separate bike exit.

The sketch and plan of the new exit ramp was shared with the mall authorities by the Cyberabad police, which was taken up and duly implemented, said Madhapur DCP (Traffic) T. Sai Manohar.

“The mall parking has a capacity of about 3,600 vehicles, but on weekends, over 10,000 moving vehicles are recorded at the mall,” he said. “The new exit ramp has reduced pressure on the earlier single route, cutting waiting times by at least 15-20 minutes per vehicle and offering alternate exits for smoother flow.”

Without an alternate exit, traffic piled up across all three basement levels, often leaving drivers stranded for over an hour, and created congestion that stretched nearly half a kilometre to the Kothaguda junction.

Now, the difference is evident. A retail store owner said congestion has eased considerably. “Earlier, during peak hours, it took 40 to 45 minutes just to exit the parking lot. Even now, weekends are busy, but the new ramp has made things far better. What used to take 45 minutes now takes around 20,” he said.

The main road outside the new ramp leading towards Kothaguda X Roads at peak hours on Thursday.

“We got out of the parking in under 20 minutes on Tuesday,” said Nikhil, a regular shopper. “A win, considering we waited over an hour just two weeks ago,” he said.

Published – October 11, 2025 08:20 am IST