E-Paper
HT Readers’ take | Chandigarh roads Le Cor-busier than ever
Most readers say even the city’s original planners did not foresee the spurt in number of vehicles, adding that the once-effective rotaries & wide roads need an infrastructure upgrade — especially to handle festive and out-of-the -ordinary rush. Many feel a metro system, under/overpasses can be added while keeping the city’s heritage alive
Replace blame storming with brainstorming
Meant for the population of 5 lakh, the city is already bursting at its seams by trying to manage the traffic three times over its capacity. The administrative apparatus is already indulged in making viable solutions, but the stakeholders need to realise that the solution to the problem can only be resolved by joint efforts and initiatives. Opt to ride a two-wheeler if one is riding alone, carpool for the same/shared destination, hire a bike taxi or avail the smart cycle option to keep safe and healthy, avail the public transport may be helpful in fighting back the traffic menace. Administration may explore technology to troubleshoot the problem. “Traffic Information Systems” may be thought of as an active intervention to send and share warnings and signals to help avoid decongestion. The LED-based sign boards at traffic lights may hint at the rush and caution accordingly. Every one’s contribution is expected and required. Blame storming must be replaced with brainstorming to think wisely, act aptly.
Shami Singh Bhatia, Zirakpur
Remove rotaries, install intelligent signal system
There has been a tremendous increase in vehicular traffic over the past decade causing harassment to commuters as well as the public. Severe long delays at the traffic lights are pretty evident. It is a fact that negotiating the city’s rotaries, an integral part of the Le Corbusier’s famed town plan, has become slow and cumbersome. The once-ideal set-up now many evident drawbacks, especially when there is huge traffic waiting in tow. The only remedy lies in removing the rotary and installing an intelligent signalling system (ISS), to optimize the signal timings for fast and uninterrupted movement. Adding a large fleet of buses also adds to congestion, causing dust pollution. Thousands of vehicles entering daily will come down drastically if light metro (underground in Chandigarh) is introduced at the earliest which will also benefit Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal in the future.
Sateesh Dadwal, via email
Wide avenues, wider scope of mind
Going through traffic jams in peak hours is a nightmare for most city residents. Amid pre-existing chaos, lane rules are not followed by commuters, who are all trying to get out of an undesirable situation. Encouraging use of public vehicles through awareness campaigns showing the benefits can come as a boost. A technological upgrade such as a transport app and provision of online payments will also give a much-needed boost to the public transport system and further may increase usage. The absence of a cost and time-effective way of widening the city’s well-known metalled avenues does not mean the one cannot widen the avenues of their minds.
Shubham Samria, via email
No dearth of ideas, but need to work on resolve
Chandigarh traffic makes for a classic case for a research study with interesting elements — a city covering a relatively small area, one with the highest density of vehicles, a public transportation system that can be described as mediocre at best and a gridlocked skeletal frame. One could easily go into the nitty-gritties of each element and make individual suggestions such as planned expansion, policies aimed at reducing use of cars, bolstering the public transport, but none of these will lead anywhere without a resolve to stick by the decisions in the longer run. The state of indecisiveness from authorities — be it the picking up or disposing of plans for metros or overbridges on a whim, abandoning projects like bike sharing system after going full throttle at the start — has resulted in seemingly well-intentioned ideas fizzle out over the lack of commitment. The real problem lies not in the lack of ideas to tackle congestion, but the lacking resolve — both from the public and administration and that is where the work needs to begin.
Suresh Verma, Chandigarh
VIPs throw traffic in disarray
Most nuisance on roads is caused by VIP visits. On visit of any VIP, roads should not be blocked as it is directly proportional to the inconvenience caused to public. The Chandigarh police is doing their best to manage the traffic, but visitors to the Sukhna lake or Rock Garden are daily chaos creators. The recent air show at Sukhna lake aggravated problems for a week. The city beautiful should not be turned into VVIP city.It must rather be a peaceful city.
Opinder Kaur Sekhon, Chandigarh
Impose entry tax to curtail cars
Chandigarh may be the capital of two major states, but it’s also a hub of cultural activities within northern India. A large number of people from the region visit the city frequently, be it for cricket matches, festival celebrations, student trips, VIP and officer visits. All of this is bound to lead to traffic jams in the city and the administration should impose entry tax to help deal with the same, while also using the revenue to improve public transport facilities and promote carpooling in the city especially for the working population — who are the ones forced to face the major brunt, having to commute the most during peak office hours.
Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh
Strengthen the public bike sharing system
With the festive season being right around the corner, hustle and bustle is the new normal around tricity. The same, however, will also result in a spurt in traffic, which is already an issue for the residents. Traffic has skyrocketed and even planned cities like Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali are struggling to keep up. In order to streamline the traffic, more bicycles should be pushed into from the public bike sharing stands installed so as to reduce people’s dependency on cars. Launched with much fanfare, the system has but lost steam given poor handling from the public’s end as well as neglect from the administration. There is no one real culprit, here, and the government or us people need to join hands in smoothing things out.
Vivaan Gupta, Panchkula
Construct subways, flyovers while keeping city’s heritage in mind
Subways and flyovers are two of the most obvious ways of decongesting the tricity roads, which despite their talked-about status as the country’s finest, are reeling under a lot of pressure. While the projects have been suggested before, the conflict with the city’s architectural heritage has kept them from seeing the light of day. That said, with slight efforts from both sides, an amicable solution can be reached. Outer ring roads can be constructed to divert the traffic to peripheral areas and people not headed to Chandigarh can pass through without having to enter the city. Efficient metro systems have helped much larger cities decongest roads and the same has become the need of the hour to combat vehicular congestion in tricity as well.
Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali
Small steps can go a long way
An approximate of 43,986 vehicles were added to the city’s tally in 2019, with 29,259 joining in during the Covid-hit 2020 and an additional 36,574 were added in 2021. The same adds up to over 1 lakh vehicles being put out on the Chandigarh roads alone in the last years. These vehicles along with Panchkula and Mohali vehicles, plus daily public transport numbers make for mind-boggling figures. The roads are just not equipped to deal with the same anymore and increasing the duration of the green signals, having a 15-20 minute gap in office hours and using advanced technology solutions, utilising CCTV cameras and kiosks to flash traffic jams messages are small steps that can set the ball rolling in the right direction.
Khushi Bhatnagar,
Panchkula.
Presence of traffic police personnel must
The CCTV cameras installed at various points and withdrawal of cops is counter productive. The presence of traffic cops is must to a check over speeding and road rages which are the main causes of road accidents. In the markets, especially in festival season, the need of managing traffic by traffic personnel is a must . No one bothers about the persons of market association managing traffic and parking. Traffic cops can be rarely seen challaning government transport buses, trucks etc who over speed and hardly fasten seat belts. Serious accidents caused by buses crushing two wheelers on the city roads is not uncommon. Why is this relaxation provided to government transport vehicles?
Capt Amar Jeet, Kharar
Flyovers required at vulnerable roundabouts
Chandigarh was planned on geometric pattern i.e. all roads runs parallel and perpendicular to each other. Earlier, cycle and cycle rickshaws were extensively used as mode of transport. With increasing population and number of vehicles, the need of the hour is to construct flyovers at vulnerable roundabouts for smooth flow of traffic during peak hours. Multi-level parking system may also be considered in busy markets to avoid parking on road sides and berms. Ring road may also be considered for connecting tricity to avoid traffic on inner roads of Chandigarh. Lastly, NGOs/ traffic marshals may be roped in during peak hours and on visit of VVIPs to manage traffic efficiently.
Col TBS Bedi, via email
Depute cops instead of volunteers at parkings
No doubt, modern and beautiful city Chandigarh has wide smooth roads and roundabouts, but for many reasons these add to the misery of the ordinary citizens. Traffic problems are increasing frequently. The administration should frame strong and strict laws and orders to resolve the situation. During peak hours, the police should depute cops instead of volunteers to arrange and manage the parking system. Cops should not play the “ Hide and Seek “ game under the shadow of trees. Permanent parking arrangements is a must during festive season. Large size direction boards for parking should be put at important places.The timings of traffic lights should be arranged as per speed limit.
Sumesh Kumar Badhwar,
Mohali
Manage traffic as it enters the city limits
The administration should consider constructing a bypass on the periphery of the tricity to ease traffic congestion. Even an extension of the existing flyover or a new construction can solve the traffic problem in the area to a large extent and help fix the problem of a major bottleneck in tricity. Besides, a feasibility study must be done to reduce the congestion which should help predict peak-hour traffic and help suggest alternative routes to handle congestion. By managing traffic right as it enters the city can go a long way in reducing congestion within.
Vineet Gandhi, Manimajra
Provision of proper parking space is key
Despite all the planning to manage excessive traffic during festive season, traffic snarls are commonplace. The administration has done well to identify and allow parking at specific school’s premises during the non-working hours. More such possibilities of parking vehicles near the busy marketplaces need to be identified for similar use. Notices indicating directions or placards indicating nearest available parking place need be displayed at busiest markets. The efforts could be supplemented by engaging volunteers in addition to traffic police. Guidelines need to be issued to discourage vehicles coming to heavy traffic areas during peak hours and to visit high traffic areas in the forenoons as for as practicable.There is need to discourage use of horns especially at road crossings during festival season.During festive days ,extra effort is required to ensure that no order or conduct of traffic Authorities should seem to mar or lessen the festive spirit.
DS Banati, Mohali
Admn, traffic police need to buckle up
For better traffic management not only during the festive season or VIP visits, but in daily routine as well, proper planning is required. UT administration and police force must take steps effectively including renewed focus on ensuring a viable public transportation service, spreading regular traffic safety awareness, increased personnel and making sure rule-breakers are penalised. With planned efforts the problem can be resolved easily.
Prabhjot Nagpal, Zirakpur
Sensible driving can reduce congestion on roads
Traffic jams are the main nightmare of the vehicle owners in the tri-city roads, which are among the finest and best-planned that the country has to offer, The problem is even graver when one has not taken into consideration the traffic jams when embarking on an urgent assignment. Haphazard driving are often the major causes behind long stretches of road facing congestion. While it would be worthwhile to educate people about sensible driving, they should also be encouraged to use two-wheelers instead of four-wheelers when driving alone to reduce the stress on city roads. Parents should be discouraged to use their personal vehicles for non-essential purposes in what can be another effective way of doing the same.
AK Sharma, Chandigarh
Strictly enforce traffic rules
To streamline the flow of traffic in tricity more effective planning and execution of traffic management, deployment of more staff particularly in Panchkula and Mohali is needed. Further, enforcing the rule of one-lane driving, imposing hefty penalties to increase accountability is also needed. Timings for government offices in UT tricity can be tweaked to divide and help manage the traffic rush during peak hours as well. All of these reforms can be made through policy reform only.
Subhash Chugh, via emai
Introduce metro system, double-decker buses
A metro rail system should be introduced as soon as possible to check the ever-growing traffic on city roads. Double decker buses should also be added to the CTU fleet to accommodate more commuters without having to press a large number of motor vehicles onto the already congested avenues. In addition, cycling should be promoted among the citizens as an alternative for shorter commutes. The administration will have to take the lead and officials taking to bicycles in a bid to lead by example will encourage others, especially from the younger generation, to follow suit.
Vikas Sharma, via email
Carpooling can help reduce congestion on roads
Carpooling is a very effective way to help reduce one’s contribution to the traffic on the city. Taking turns to drive your colleagues to work is as an added bonus as it also woks as a great way to reduce the stress of driving in the traffic everyday. This will also help in reducing the maintenance costs of your vehicle while reducing the amount of pollutants being pushed into the atmosphere.
Ishita Nara, via email
