Police deploy traffic management teams on roads till Diwali

Anticipating traffic snarls during the festive season, the Gurugram traffic police identified 15 high-traffic volume spots and decided to deploy rapid action teams for traffic management until Diwali (November 4)

Anticipating traffic snarls during the festive season, the Gurugram traffic police identified 15 high-traffic volume spots and decided to deploy rapid action teams for traffic management until Diwali (November 4).

The police said that they will concentrate on traffic management at Sadar Bazar due to high footfall during the festive season. (Vipin Kumar /HT PHOTO)

Officials said that each rapid action traffic team (RATT) has at least six police traffic police marshals, 10 road safety officers (RSOs), and a traffic police inspector, equipped with a crane, to tow vehicles.

The deputy commissioner of police (DCP), traffic, Ravinder Singh Tomar, said that the teams will be deployed at these points at least till November 4, and would continue to be deployed thereafter if necessitated by the traffic situation. He said that the rapid teams will be working in coordination with 1,500 traffic police personnel deployed on regular duties.

“In view of the festive season and to ensure minimum traffic congestion and hassle-free rides to commuters, Gurugram traffic police has constituted RATTs which will be deputed in each zone of the city. These teams will act immediately and address the traffic jam situations to ensure that the commuters face the least possible inconvenience and their travelling time is saved,” Tomar said.

The 15 high-traffic volume points are Galleria Market, Sirhaul toll, roads located near Good Earth Mall, Mayfield Gardens intersection, Huda City Centre (HCC), Daulatabad Flyover, Badshahpur-Vatika Chowk stretch on Sohna Road, Sadar Bazar and its connecting roads, Basai Chowk, Himgiri Chowk-Pataudi Chowk stretch, Artemis Hospital Road, Bhagwan Mahaveer Marg, Sector 15 road, roads near Supermart, and the sector 17/18 dividing road.

Administratively, Gurugram traffic police have three zones in the city, namely east, west, and highways. Old Gurgaon areas and new sector areas along Dwarka Expressway falls under the east zone, while the west zone covers the remaining parts of the city; National Highway 48 (from Sirhaul toll to Kapriwas at Gurugram-Rewari border) and the Gurugram section of Sohna Road come under the highways’ zone.

A team of police officials would also be monitoring realtime traffic movement through Google Maps at the traffic police control room to alert the RATTs regarding possible congestion, Tomar said.

According to a senior traffic police official privy to the matter, the traffic police will also concentrate on traffic management at Sadar Bazar and its approach roads.

“During the Diwali season, Sadar Bazar and its approach roads witness the heaviest traffic congestion across the city. Officials and RATTs deployed in the west zone have been directed to keep vigil over the area. RATTs have also been given special emphasis to keep a lookout for vehicles parked in no-parking zones,” the official cited above said.

The official cited above further said that during the festive season, traffic police officials observed that it is common for residents to park their vehicles near a marketplace on the main road, which causes heavy snarls. Hence, each RATT has been given a crane to tow away such vehicles.