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Passenger buses route diverted to ease traffic woes in Ludhiana
The buses going towards and coming from the bus stand will be diverted towards Gill road- Southern bypass- Ferozepur road in Ludhiana on a trial basis
In a bid to tackle the ever-increasing chaos at the Bharat Nagar intersection, which is undergoing major construction work, authorities have decided to divert passenger buses onto an alternative route.
The buses going towards and coming from the bus stand will be diverted towards Gill road- Southern bypass- Ferozepur road on a trial basis.
Buses coming from and heading towards different cities, including Jagraon, Ferozpur and Moga use the Bharat Nagar Intersection which adds to the traffic jams. If the trials turn out to be effective, the route for buses will be permanently shifted for the upcoming months, said traffic police officials. The decision was taken at a meeting of Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority (UTMA) held recently, wherein representatives from traffic police, district administration, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and civil society members participated.
Rahul Verma, member of the Punjab State Road Safety Council, who was also part of the meeting said municipal corporation (MC) has assured that the construction work on Gill road stretch has been completed but some work is still pending. He added that along with the Gill road, the southern bypass also lies in a dilapidated stretch and without improving the situation diverting passenger buses would not be effective.
Under the Elevated Road Project, heavy construction work is underway at the Bharat Nagar chowk which is among the city’s busiest intersections.
At the UMTA meeting, MC officers said the civic body is working towards easing traffic bottlenecks in the city.
The officers stated that as many as 18 traffic points have been identified, in collaboration with traffic police and non-governmental organisations in the city for which the required land will be acquired.
Further giving out details, the MC authorities said Pakhowal Railway overbridge, Railway underbridge will be completed by August 15.
It was also said that electricity poles which cause traffic hindrances will be shifted for which the MC has deposited the funds with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).
Meanwhile, railway authorities said work at the Dana Mandi Railway overbridge and Dakha Railway under-bridge will be started soon.
They added that the entry and exit points of the Ludhiana Railway Station will be changed for the redevelopment.
In the meeting, DC Surabhi Malik also asked the NHAI to work on the possibility of a cycle track between Sherpur and Dhandari, and the Ladhowal area on NH-44 for the ease of industrial workers. NHAI was also directed towork towards reducing thecongestion at Kohara chowk on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh route.
Moreover, the Regional Transport Authority secretary was also asked to prepare the data on the number of diesel, CNG auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws plying in the city. Camps for registration of e-rickshaws will also be organised.
