'Stampede-like scenes, wasted 5 hours in traffic': Lulu Mall's opening in Hyderabad causes traffic chaos

Abu Dhabi-headquartered Lulu Group inaugurated its massive shopping mall in Hyderabad last week, which led to a chokehold in Kukatpally area of the Telangana capital. 

With massive crowds thronging the 500,000 sq ft mall, the roads were choc-a-bloc with traffic and Hyderabadis said this reminded them of the time Ikea got launched in the city a few years ago. 

Lulu Group already has five operational malls in India at Kochi, Trivandrum, Thrissur, Bengaluru and Lucknow.

"Stampede like scenes at Lulu Mall, Hyderabad. Bad decision to visit on a Sunday. Wasted 5 hours, stuck in traffic, wait times for food almost 1 hour and didn’t even purchase anything because of long lines. Plus the heat omg! Horrible experience," said an user of X platform (formerly Twitter).

Lulu Mall Hyderabad houses a hypermarket, more than 100 local and international brands, 1,400-seater 5-screen cinemas, a food court with 15 multi-cuisine restaurants, a 2,000 sq ft entertainment centre, and parking space for 1,000 cars and 900 bikes among other facilities.

Over this long weekend, the parking facilities fell short and spilled over, causing traffic snarls for those travelling between Miyapur and Ameerpet.

"Dear fellow Hyderabadis, LULU Mall is going to stay here, it is not here for a week or two. A lot of troubles for the people on emergencies who are getting stuck in the mad traffic. Please wait and let the initial rush settle down, then you can visit the mall leisurely," posted a concerned Hyderabadi on X platform.

Many wondered how the authorities didn't foresee the traffic chaos considering the area was already facing problems of traffic congestion. 

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the diversified Lulu Group has an annual turnover of around $8 billion. The group's business portfolio ranges from hypermarket operations to shopping mall development, manufacturing and trading of goods, food processing plants, wholesale distribution, hospitality assets, and real estate development. Lulu Group has operations spread over 23 countries.