Choc-a-bloc at Rajiv Chowk

Commuters jostling for space, long queues of vehicles and traffic jams have become a common sight at the busy Rajiv Chowk on the Gurgaon Expressway. Leena Dhankhar reports.

Commuters jostling for space, long queues of vehicles and traffic jams have become a common sight at the busy Rajiv Chowk on the Gurgaon Expressway.

HT Image

For thousands of commuters, crossing the intersection is a herculean task during morning and evening peak hours. Sometimes, it takes nearly 30 minutes for a jam to clear.

Statistics reveal that of the 55 deaths reported in 2012 on the Gurgaon Expressway, nine were killed near Rajiv Chowk.

The absence of traffic signals on the busy stretch has further compounded the woes of people. The area is primarily industrial and visited by thousands of commuters during peak hours. Pedestrians risk their lives daily while crossing the road due to the absence of a footover bridge (FOB).

Despite several requests from the traffic department, no measures have been taken to streamline traffic on the stretch.

“Commuters don’t follow rules. They negotiate a turn wherever they want to. The service lane from the Sector-51 side is closed though construction has been completed,” said another commuter.

On the other hand, the police blamed engineering and designing faults for the traffic chaos.

DCP (east) Maheshwar Dayal told HT, “As this is the national highway, it is not possible to install traffic signals. Traffic police personnel are doing their best to solve the problem. But civic authorities have failed to fulfil their promise. No FOB, service lanes and underpasses are being constructed at the site. Civic authorities and NHAI should take active interest.”