Ludhiana: Traffic jams, diversions mark New Year’s Eve

 Residents faced a tough time amid traffic jams that were witnessed at several areas of the city on the New Year’s eve on Tuesday. 

As residents thronged restaurants, malls, roadside eateries and markets to usher in 2020, a huge rush of vehicles was witnessed on the city roads resulting in traffic snarls. 

Traffic jams were witnessed from 4pm onwards on Ferozepur Road, Mall Road, Malhar Road, Dugri, Model Town. Many people had parked their vehicles haphazardly on Malhar Road and other approaching lanes which caused congestion.

Due to security reasons, police had installed barricades on the roads leading to Sarabha Nagar Market, restricting the entry of four-wheelers. Cops deployed at several road intersection points remained busy throughout the evening in regulating the flow of traffic. 

A resident of Sarabha Nagar, Pushpinder Singh, said roads should not be barricaded and the parking space of markets should be utilised. “There is no separate space for parking due to which, people park their vehicles on roadsides,” he added. 

A BRS Nagar resident, Himanshu Gupta, said on every New Year’s eve, residents face inconvenience due to traffic jams. “Police are unable to chalk out plans to manage the flow of traffic. Even citizens are responsible for jams. They are not patient and create chaos by breaking traffic rules,” he added.

Residents laud police’s ‘No Vehicle Zone’ initiative

The police had made Sarabha Nagar market a ‘no-vehicle zone’, an initiative which was lauded by residents. They expressed satisfaction that due to no rush of vehicles in the market area and presence of police personnel, no episodes of hooliganism were witnessed.