Reports from Telangana Today and The Siasat Daily say Hyderabad Traffic Police are planning a trial one-way system around Lakdi-ka-Pul, with proposed diversions through HDFC, Saifabad and Iqbal Minar. The plan is not a final traffic order yet, so drivers should wait for an official start notice and follow the directions displayed on the road when any trial begins.
The proposal matters because it could replace some direct movements through one of central Hyderabad’s busiest junction areas with longer, prescribed loops. The route changes were reported after senior police officials inspected the corridor on 6 Nov 2026; the reports do not give a final implementation date.
Key takeaways
- Hyderabad Traffic Police have proposed a one-way arrangement around Lakdi-ka-Pul to reduce conflicting movements and keep vehicles moving.
- Vehicles travelling from the Old Control Room towards Secunderabad may be diverted through HDFC, Old Saifabad Police Station, Iqbal Minar and the Secretariat junction.
- Traffic from Nirankari Junction, the Secretariat junction and the Telangana Thalli flyover also has proposed revised movements.
- The arrangement is expected to be tried first; a coordination meeting with civic, utility and traffic agencies must happen before the pilot.
- No final start date, permanent notification or verified extra travel time has been reported.
What Hyderabad Police have proposed
Telangana Today reported on 6 Nov 2026 that City Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar and Traffic Joint Commissioner D. Joel Davis inspected the proposed routes around Lakdi-ka-Pul. The Siasat Daily, reporting on 7 Nov 2026 and citing a police press note, said the inspection also involved Deputy Commissioner of Police Avinash Kumar. The officials reviewed traffic conditions around Dwaraka Hotel, Old Saifabad Police Station, HDFC junction, Iqbal Minar, Ravindra Bharathi, Lakdi-ka-Pul crossroads and the Old Control Room junction.
The following are proposed movements, not instructions that are already in force:
Old Control Room towards Secunderabad
Vehicles that currently travel from the Old Control Room towards Secunderabad through Ravindra Bharathi and Iqbal Minar may be stopped from proceeding directly through Ravindra Bharathi. Under the proposal, they would use HDFC, Old Saifabad Police Station, Iqbal Minar and the Secretariat junction instead.
Nirankari Junction towards the Old Control Room
Traffic travelling from Nirankari Junction towards the Old Control Room would be diverted at Old Saifabad Police Station. It would then turn right at Iqbal Minar and reach the Old Control Room through Ravindra Bharathi.
Secretariat and Telangana Thalli approaches
Vehicles moving from the Secretariat junction and Telangana Thalli flyover towards Old Saifabad Police Station would follow another proposed loop. The route would run through Iqbal Minar, Ravindra Bharathi and the Old Control Room, where vehicles would take a U-turn before continuing via Assembly Gate No. 3 and HDFC junction.
What changes now — and what does not
Police officials said the system would first be introduced on a trial basis so its effect on the public can be assessed. Before that, a coordination meeting is expected with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, the water board, the electricity department and other agencies. A decision on making the arrangement permanent would follow the trial.
That sequence is important for drivers. The proposal is not the same as a notified closure or a permanent one-way rule. The reports do not state when the trial will begin, how long it will run, or whether every proposed movement will be identical on the first day. Until traffic police issue a live instruction, motorists should not assume that a saved navigation route or an online map has already incorporated the change.
How the proposal could affect a daily trip
The immediate issue is route movement, not a new toll fee or fuel-price revision. A forced loop can add turns, waiting at additional junctions or extra distance, although no verified time or kilometre increase has been published. The effect will depend on the traffic volume at the time, how many lanes are kept open and how quickly signs and traffic personnel guide vehicles.
Drivers planning a cross-city journey can compare the departure and arrival approaches with the road-trip planner before leaving. If a detour makes the journey longer, the fuel cost calculator can help estimate the extra fuel using the vehicle’s own mileage and the current price entered by the user. These are planning estimates, not a prediction of the delay that the trial will create.
Checks before using Lakdi-ka-Pul
- Check the latest Hyderabad Traffic Police communication on the day of travel, especially before a peak-hour trip.
- Follow temporary signs, barricades and directions from traffic personnel even if an older map route points straight through the junction.
- Confirm which approach leads to the destination before entering the proposed loop; a missed turn could create another circuit through the central corridor.
- Allow room for a changing trial layout. The route may be adjusted after police observe queues, pedestrian movement and emergency access.
Related work near KBR Park
The inspection also covered the KBR Park route, where a one-way arrangement is already in place. Police said another traffic lane is planned alongside the existing one, while underground pipelines, electricity poles and other utilities that obstruct the work are to be relocated with the civic and construction agencies. This is a separate workstream from the proposed Lakdi-ka-Pul pilot, so drivers should not treat the two as one citywide traffic order.
What to watch next
- A formal announcement of the coordination meeting and the start of the Lakdi-ka-Pul trial.
- On-road signs or a route map showing whether the proposed movements have been changed before implementation.
- Updates from Hyderabad Traffic Police on queues, emergency access and any adjustments during the pilot.
Reader takeaway
Hyderabad’s Lakdi-ka-Pul one-way plan remains proposed, not confirmed for immediate enforcement. The useful preparation is to check the latest traffic notice before departure, allow for a possible route loop and follow the live instructions on the road once the police announce a trial.
