E-Paper
Ludhiana roads choke as school buses add to peak-hour traffic
With the altered school timings coming into effect, Ludhiana commuters were in for a horrid time as school buses and residents taking to roads at the same time
With the altered school timings coming into effect in view of foggy weather on Wednesday, commuters were in for a horrid time as school buses and residents leaving for their workplaces thronged the city roads at around the same time.
Adding to the chaos and congestion was the diversion on the bus route between Ferozepur road and the bus stand. Amid the ongoing construction of the elevated road project, the traffic police diverted the buses going to and coming from the bus stand towards the Southern Bypass via Dugri road.
Several long-route buses were seen plying in the residential areas of Model Town extension, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, Sarabha Nagar, Pakhowal road and adjoining areas, resulting in jams during the peak hours. Commuters stuck in traffic said diverting these buses made the situation worse in the areas that already witness traffic blockades in the morning and afternoon as a number of school buses take the routes.
Manish Singla, a resident of Sarabha Nagar, said “It had taken me an hour to reach my office in Ferozepur due to a massive jam. It has become extremely difficult to travel from one part of the city to another in the absence of any planning.”
Another resident, Pankaj said the problem of school buses was not new to the city as they troubled commuters even before the change in timings.
As the buses were diverted to the busy Southern Bypass, jams were witnessed throughout the day. Manjit Singh, a resident of Dugri said, “The southern bypass is an accident-prone area, with more traffic being diverted here, travelling on this road has become very dangerous.”
Swarms of passengers, meanwhile, were seen standing near the Sidhwan canal waiting for buses. Jaspreet, a resident of Jagraon, said, “As the authorities diverted the route without any intimation we were left in the lurch.”
Addressing the issue, assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Traffic-1 Charanjiv Lamba said, “We have identified the blocking points where the jam was witnessed today, traffic police personnel will be deployed there to make the flow of traffic smooth.”
He said the route for buses headed to the bus stand will be diverted to the Southern Bypass in view of the construction work being carried out on Gill road.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday had announced to change the school timings to 10 am to avoid any road mishaps in view of the decreased visibility amid foggy weather.
Bhai Bala intersection to be closed in Jan
Ludhiana Commuters’ inconvenience on the under-construction portion of the busy Ferozepur road is set to exacerbate even further as the busiest Bhai Bala intersection will be closed in the first week of January for the construction of the elevated road project being undertaken by the National Highway Authority of India.
However, traffic will continue to move on the slip roads on both sides of the intersection. The commuters hitting the intersection from the Pakhowal road side will have to take a detour on the slip lane in front of Park Plaza hotel.
Already facing a traffic disturbance, the Bhai Bala intersection is the meeting point of vehicles coming from and going towards Bharat Nagar Chowk, Ghumar Mandi, Pakhowal road and Aarti Chowk. During this phase of construction, the crossing from Ghumar Mandi and towards Pakhowal road will be closed for around five weeks.
To control the flow of traffic roundabouts (U-turns) will be created within 100 m of the intersection towards each side of the Ferozepur road and the flow of traffic from Ghumar Mandi will be diverted towards Aarti Chowk.
Traffic officials had asked the construction company representatives to repair the service lanes and lift the debris to allow more space for the flow of traffic.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP, operations and special branch) Sameer Verma said, “We have sought more traffic marshalls and signboards for the smooth flow of vehicles; the intersection will only be closed after the roundabouts are created. Action will be taken against those who illegally park their vehicles on the stretch.”
NHAI project director Krishan Sachdeva, meanwhile, said, “Intersections need to be closed for safety purposes at the time of placing of the girders on the pillars. Side traffic will be moving on the slip roads and the commuters will be required to take a detour.”
