Go-karting soon at Necklace Road

​Hyderabad: Go-karting enthusiasts no longer have to go to city outskirts to have an adventurous ride on open-wheel cars. They can have the thrilling experience right in the heart of city in a few months from now.

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has decided to introduce this facility in its open space at the Necklace Road abutting the picturesque Hussainsagar Lake. A private firm that got the tender has already started construction works. 

According to HMDA Commissioner T Chiranjeevulu, the idea is to make Necklace Road stretch an entertainment hub with the presence of green spaces, gardens, amusement parks, indoor sporting zones, recreation areas to name a few and Go-karting zone is part of that. The Go-karting zone would have racing tracks as well as simulators for freshers and also toddler zone, gaming zone for kids, food courts, corporate gallery, and a parking lot for people visiting the venue.

The urban body identified 2.5 acres of land opposite People's Plaza, which earlier was rented for parking at the rate of Rs 10,000 per day and floated tenders. Funfirst Concepts and Leisure Entertainment, a Hyderabad-based firm, won the tender for a five-year period. HMDA will get Rs 55 lakh rent per annum. The firm will be investing Rs 5 crore to execute the project, according to its proprietor Talla Arvind Kumar.
Kumar says this is the first-of-its-kind initiative within city because all the Go-karting zones are located on city outskirts like Kompally, Shamshabad, Gurramguda. 

Also, the organisers have decided to introduce a single card system for availing various facilities inside the venue instead of ticket counters at each one of them. “Visitors can buy the card at Welcome Plaza by paying stipulated amount and enter inside. Afterwards wherever they go, be it food court, karting area, gaming zone, they just have to swipe the card. This process will make things simpler," he said. 

Construction works have gathered pace from last month with basement pits being dug up for food courts and also a temporary removable concrete wall has been put up along the boundary. Also, there are more than 100 fully grown up trees inside the land which the organisers and HMDA had to worry about. 

Arvind Kumar, a tree lover himself, decided not to uproot even a single tree. Tracks are being designed in such a way that trees would be in the middle with landscaping and lighting to give a beautiful look, he said.