To find a scientific and systematic solution to the rise in accidents and traffic snarls on city roads, a one-of-a-kind home-grown “centre of excellence” dedicated to Ludhiana is set to start operations by the end of this month.
The project to start the “Punjab Road Safety and Traffic Management - Centre of Excellence” in Ludhiana was mooted in 2020 by Punjab traffic police in collaboration with Guru Nanak Engineering College (GNEC). In the initial stages, a research centre and road safety product demonstration and experience zone has been created at the centre, which is being run by the civil engineering department of GNEC.
Along with facilitating road safety assessments and conducting traffic rule enforcement surveys, the centre will also identify black spots and critical road networks in the district. Experts leading the project said that with advancement in technology and by using data, the centre will both serve in creating much-needed expertise at the local level and implementing required measures.
Navdeep Asija, traffic adviser, Punjab, and director of Punjab Road Safety and Traffic Centre, said, “The centre will focus on publishing as much data as possible in the public domain, so that people can understand the root cause of the issue. There is an acute lack of experts at the local level, which will be addressed by the institute in liaison with district authorities and National Highway Authority of India.”
{{/usCountry}}Navdeep Asija, traffic adviser, Punjab, and director of Punjab Road Safety and Traffic Centre, said, “The centre will focus on publishing as much data as possible in the public domain, so that people can understand the root cause of the issue. There is an acute lack of experts at the local level, which will be addressed by the institute in liaison with district authorities and National Highway Authority of India.”
{{/usCountry}}He said that the 125-km long critical road network and important routes including - Neelon to Ferozepur post on National Highway-5 (NH-5), Sahnewal to Amaltas on NH-44, Sidhwan Canal Bypass to Ladhowal Bypass, Chaura Bazar to Malerkotla Road and elevated road near Clock Tower to Dehlon Road have been already identified, where 80% deaths in road mishaps were recorded. He said that the centre will be formally inaugurated this month, the date for which will be announced soon.
HS Rai, head of the civil engineering department at GNEC, said, “Along with providing hands-on experience to students by involving them in various studies, courses on traffic safety and awareness campaigns will also be started at the centre.”
He said that a report titled “Road safety assessment of Ludhiana” will also be released in the future.