E-Paper
Illegal cuts along Mohali Airport Road leave commuters in peril
Three such cuts--near TDI, Sector 82, and the Sector 74/8B traffic lights--along the airport road are leading to significant traffic chaos, particularly in the Industrial Area
Illegal cuts mushrooming on two major roads of Mohali--Airport and Landran road-- have made for an unsafe commute in the city.
Three such cuts--near TDI, Sector 82, and the Sector 74/8B traffic lights--along the airport road are leading to significant traffic chaos, particularly in the Industrial Area. Few of them have been reported to fall in the most accident-prone area--Kharar to Radha Swami Chowk and ISER to Airport Chowk, as per the city traffic police’s June 2024 survey.
The 6-km-long, 200-ft-wide Landran Road faces similar issues. Two cuts—one near the IT Park and another approximately 100 metres from CGC College, Landran--are causing traffic snarls.
“Commuters create these cuts for their convenience and often drive on the wrong side of the road. Such cuts should be blocked and roads properly fenced; otherwise, they will lead to accidents,” said a bike rider Pawan Kumar.
Another daily commuter at Airport Road said, “We are facing difficulty while driving due to these unauthorised cuts and people driving rashly in these areas.”
It is important to mention here that since 2017, over 150 people have lost lives on Airport Road alone. A report released at the end of June highlighted wrong-side driving and unnecessary cuts as the leading causes of accidents.
As per a survey conducted in 2022, daily 20 thousand vehicles were found using the airport road against one thousand vehicles in 2017, making it one of the most used roads in the city. In a bid to control the accidents, temporary roundabouts were set up to control the speeding vehicles in 2023.
General secretary of Mohali Industries, Dilpreet Singh, stated, “Unauthorised road cuts significantly impact logistics and transportation costs. They also cause delays in the transportation of goods from the Industrial Area. These cuts on the Airport Road at the entry and exit of the Industrial Area (8B) lead to severe traffic congestion. It takes approximately one and a half hours for commuters to cross the stretch. The construction and maintenance costs are also affected as commuters repeatedly damage the road for their convenience.”
Road safety expert Navdeep Asija said, “Better engineering is essential for effective road management. With every new construction, the traffic scenario changes and road-owning agencies such as GMADA, NHAI, and Mohali MC must regularly assess the road conditions. We cannot leave everything to the public. Just yesterday, a person died in the GMADA area due to improper signage.”
“The government is providing full support this administration has been actively promoting road safety. However, there is an urgent need for a third-party body, alongside the implementing authorities, to monitor the situation and suggest improvements,” he added.
When contacted, SP of traffic Mohali said that there is a challan system for those who don’t follow the rules.
Meanwhile, local government chief engineer Naresh Batta said, “We repair the illegal cuts within the Mohali MC limits as soon we get to know about them. But people again create those for their convenience.”
