Schoolkids’parents battle traffic chaos in Chandigarh’s Sector 26

n a letter to the Chandigarh adviser, two parents, Jasdeep Singh and Arvinder Kaur, have highlighted how with no alternative arrangements in place, parents are being harassed by the traffic police while the children are left exposed in the sun as summer is reaching its peak

Even after the UT education department and traffic police chalked out a mobility plan to decrease traffic congestion in Sector 26, some parents alleged harassment by police authorities.

As per the new traffic system, the Butterfly Park road in Sector 26 was made one-way, and can be accessed only from the Sector 7 side during the time of schools’ closing. (HT Photo)

In a letter to the UT adviser, two parents, Jasdeep Singh and Arvinder Kaur, have highlighted how with no alternative arrangements in place, parents are being harassed by the traffic police while the children are left exposed in the sun as summer is reaching its peak. The Chandigarh Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) had also issued an advisory for children to avoid the sun during peak noon time.

In their letter, Singh and Kaur added that traffic from schools make this intersection particularly challenging. The police department must convene a meeting to explore other alternatives like designated pickup points, staggered dispersal timings for different schools, temporary traffic management measures and utilising the vacant plot in front of Strawberry Fields High School and St Kabir Public School for parking purpose.

Other parents also added that while the traffic solution in front of the schools improved, the traffic shifted to other parts of the Sector and the authorities should find a permanent solution by taking into account the parking space and the number of vehicles visiting the area.

As per the new traffic system, the Butterfly Park road in Sector 26 was made one-way, and can be accessed only from the Sector 7 side during the time of schools’ closing. Traffic congestion on this 1 km stretch outside the schools has remained a tough row to hoe for the authorities. There are five schools, a college and another institute on the same road which regularly leads to traffic congestion especially in the morning and the afternoon.

While the new system was introduced as a pilot project, UT education director Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar said the results were favourable and the system will be kept in practice.

Administrator of St Kabir Public School, Gurpreet Bakshi, said that with extreme weather around the corner, the authorities must come up a solution as walking long distances to reach their vehicles is hectic for parents and children during heatwaves and monsoons.