Ghaziabad traffic police plan to decongest eight traffic intersections in a week

The eight intersections have many issues like encroachment and on-road parking by autorickshaws and e-rickshaws, besides heavy traffic – an estimated 40,000-50,000 passenger cars every day

The newly appointed police commissioner of Ghaziabad has deployed 155 police officers at eight traffic congestion points to unclog them within a week.

Intersection at the old bus stand where traffic often moves in the reverse direction, in Ghaziabad on Tuesday. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Ramanand Kushwaha, superintendent of police (traffic), said 68 traffic head constables, 63 traffic constables and 24 constables of the civil police will be deployed at the Old Bus Stand, Vijay Nagar T-point, Mohan Nagar, Lal Kuan, New Bus Stand, Chijarsi (near sector 62, Noida), Raj Chopla at Modinagar and Loni Tiraha.

“The constables have been attached to the nearest police post and will undergo training for a week. Their work will be to ensure smooth traffic flow. Strict action will also be taken against enroachers,” said Kushwaha.

The eight intersections have many issues like encroachment and on-road parking by autorickshaws and e-rickshaws, besides heavy traffic – an estimated 40,000-50,000 passenger cars every day.

“While many plans have been made earlier to regulate and improve traffic congestion, there is yet to be any major change on ground. Traffic issues, which also result from faulty road engineering and broken roads, increase air pollution,” said Akash Vashishtha, a city-based environmentalist.

The Ghaziabad police has also discussed a proposal with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to install 85 video incident detection system (Vids) cameras, 130 automatic number plate readers (ANPRs) and 16 pan-tilt zoom (PTZ) cameras on the DME stretch from Uttar Pradesh Gate to Bhojpur.

Police said the proposal is likely to be implemented in two months and the cameras will help in tracking stolen vehicles, movement of criminals and snatchers and traffic violations on national highway 9.

“A final decision on this proposal will be taken by us. The new cameras will require a lot of investment and provision of other modalities. So, a decision cannot be taken at the local level,” said an NHAI official.

The state government approved the setting up of a police commissionerate for Ghaziabad district on November 25. Officials said that postings and the new hierarchy setup is likely to be completed within a fortnight.