Traffic police prohibits entry of heavy vehicles in Ghaziabad

In order to decongest the areas with the most crowd during the festive season, the Ghaziabad traffic police have issued a diversion plan barring the entry of heavy traffic vehicles (HTVs) in the city from October 29 to November 7

In order to decongest the areas with the most crowd during the festive season, the Ghaziabad traffic police have issued a diversion plan barring the entry of heavy traffic vehicles (HTVs) in the city from October 29 to November 7. They have also diverted autos from some stretches to alternate routes during the same period.

Traffic jam on Ghantaghar Road in Ghaziabad on Thursday. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

According to the diversion plan rolled out on Thursday, the traffic police said all heavy vehicles entering the city from the Lal Kuan intersection (on GT Road) will be diverted to Loha Mandi and then will have to take the Vivekanand Flyover to proceed to Hapur Road and ALT Centre, Raj Nagar.

“From there, vehicles can proceed to their respective routes towards Meerut, etc. Likewise, the heavy vehicles travelling from Mohan Nagar will use the rotary near the Hindon river Metro station and can proceed to ALT Centre. We have also decided that all autos plying between Lal Kuan and Mohan Nagar will use the Thakurdwara Flyover and not the surface road,” said Ramanand Kushwaha, superintendent of police (traffic).

Apart from the diversion for heavy vehicles, the plan also includes another diversion for autos which ply between the Old Bus Station and Chaudhary Morh.

“All the autos plying on this route will be barred from doing so November 2 to November 5 to avoid congestion in markets such as Chopla, Turab Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, etc, in the Old City. The entire diversion plan is aimed at decongesting areas in the city where there is heavy rush during the festival. As long as the diversions are in place, there will be two big temporary parking spaces where people can park their vehicles and go to the markets on foot,” said the SP.

The two temporary parking spaces have been proposed at Nehru Yuva Kendra at Ambedkar Road and at the Ghanta Ghar Ramlila ground, adjacent to GT Road.

Traffic officials said they will take strict action against those persons whose vehicles are found parked on the roadside as such a situation will lead to traffic congestion, which in turn will spike the air quality index reading.

“We have asked the traffic police to coordinate and manage various congestion points during the festival. Vehicular pollution due to congestion contributes to the city’s air pollution levels,” said Utsav Sharma, regional officer of Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board.

Ghaziabad city already implemented a Graded Response Action Plan to curb air pollution as directed by the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and the adjoining areas.