GB Nagar MP calls for traffic plan to handle Noida airport rush

GREATER NOIDA: Authorities in Gautam Budha Nagar have been asked to prepare a long-term traffic management strategy for Noida, Greater Noida, and Yamuna City in anticipation of heavier traffic leading to the Noida International Airport, while also rectifying accident-prone stretches and tightening safety checks for school vehicles, officials said

GREATER NOIDA: Authorities in Gautam Budha Nagar have been asked to prepare a long-term traffic management strategy for Noida, Greater Noida, and Yamuna City in anticipation of heavier traffic leading to the Noida International Airport, while also rectifying accident-prone stretches and tightening safety checks for school vehicles, officials said.

The directions were issued by Gautam Budh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma at a review meeting of the Parliamentary Road Safety Committee and the District School Vehicle Transport Safety Committee on Saturday. (HT)

The directions were issued by Gautam Budh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma at a review meeting of the Parliamentary Road Safety Committee and the District School Vehicle Transport Safety Committee on Saturday.

Sharma said congestion at key intersections, particularly Pari Chowk, and the anticipated increase in airport-bound traffic required advance planning rather than reactive measures.

“The traffic load on roads connecting to the airport will continue to grow. We need long-term planning with traffic diversion strategies and effective traffic regulation already in place before the pressure reaches its peak,” Sharma said in a statement.

During the meeting, police and transport department officials were directed that the plan should include designated timings for the entry of commercial vehicles into urban areas, coordinated enforcement against construction vehicles that spread dust and create safety hazards, and wider adoption of modern traffic management systems.

Sharma also asked the police and transport department to jointly analyse accident data on a regular basis to scientifically identify the causes of crashes and implement permanent engineering and enforcement measures to prevent repeat accidents.

Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna authorities, along with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the Public Works Department (PWD) and other agencies, were directed to complete pending rectification work at identified black spots within stipulated timelines.

The MP said that every accident-prone location should be equipped with scientifically designed speed breakers, reflective warning signs, direction boards, clearly visible road markings, traffic signals, adequate street lighting, safety barriers and CCTV cameras. He also instructed departments to conduct regular physical verification of completed works instead of relying only on progress reports.

Calling for greater citizen participation in road safety, Sharma asked the transport department to develop a digital platform through which residents can directly report dangerous road conditions, accident-prone locations and other traffic-related concerns to the concerned departments.

Sharma also issued directions for a district-wide inspection of school vehicles. Officials were asked to launch a special fitness drive covering all school buses and vans operating in the district and ensure that each vehicle complies with mandatory safety norms.

The authorities were also instructed to conduct periodic health examinations of school bus drivers and maintain regular coordination with school managements while organising awareness programmes on road safety.

During the meeting, Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh suggested that officials from the Ghaziabad unit of the NHAI should also attend future road safety meetings so that issues relating to national highways can be resolved more efficiently. He also proposed that the transport department prepare a proposal for establishing a traffic park, subject to land availability, to provide practical road safety education to children and the public.

Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate Medha Roopam said all departments had been directed to work in coordination to ensure that the decisions taken during the review translate into on-ground improvements.

“We will ensure that every direction and suggestion discussed during the meeting is implemented in a time-bound manner. The focus will be on coordinated action by all concerned departments so that road safety measures result in tangible improvements for commuters,” Roopam said.