Dehradun city is facing acute pressure of vehicular traffic on the roads, which are already narrow due to lack of planning in the past. Of the 24 lakh vehicles registered in Uttarakhad, 10 lakh (40%) vehicles are registered with the Dehradun transport authority alone, which is a giant figure keeping the view the hilly terrain of the district.
As a result of the increasing vehicular traffic in Dehradun, commuters are facing a lot of problems. “The traffic situation is worsening in Dehradun everyday. It has become a nightmare to drive four-wheelers in the city due to the increasing number of vehicles and narrow roads,” said Nitesh Sharma, a resident of DL Road. He said the government should regulate the number of vehicles being sold in a year in Dehradun so that the roads do not face excess pressure of traffic.
However, the authorities seem to be clueless to handle the traffic situation on the roads. Some industry representatives had given a suggestion to the Dehradun district administration and the regional transport office (RTO) to put a cap on the number of vehicle registrations per year, but it has been turned down.
The authorities are now looking into other options to deal with the situation. “We have recommended the government to make more flyovers in addition to the existing ones that have been built at Balliwala Chowk, Ballupur, ISBT and Mohkampur,” said Kewal Khurana, director, traffic, Dehradun. “This is not the only solution and we have to look at more long-term measures, which include utilisation of parking spaces. Apart from this, the number of traffic personnel would also have to be increased to tackle the growing problem,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}The authorities are now looking into other options to deal with the situation. “We have recommended the government to make more flyovers in addition to the existing ones that have been built at Balliwala Chowk, Ballupur, ISBT and Mohkampur,” said Kewal Khurana, director, traffic, Dehradun. “This is not the only solution and we have to look at more long-term measures, which include utilisation of parking spaces. Apart from this, the number of traffic personnel would also have to be increased to tackle the growing problem,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}At present, there are 370 traffic police personnel in Dehradun.
Khurana also suggested for frequent traffic management training to the policemen to cope up with the demanding situation. “We cannot increase the width of the roads and have to work within the parameters,” he added.
According to the traffic department data, 2.38 lakh vehicles were registered in Uttarakhand in the last one year.