Gurgaon: 40 minutes to cross 2km stretch of Sheetla Mata road

The commuters said the disorderly manner in which public vehicles are parked and vendor kiosks set up from the Sheetla Mata temple till the bus stand crossing leave little space for other vehicles to move

Hundreds of commuters and devotees thronging the Sheetla Mata temple near Sector 5 in Old Gurgaon, to take part in the monthly fair, were stuck on the road in front of the temple owing to the movement of trucks and buses ferrying devotees from across Haryana on Tuesday night.

A bumper-to-bumper traffic snarl at Sheetla Mata Road on way to Sector-5 on Tuesday. (PARVEEN KUMAR/HT PHOTO)

The stretch is one of the main roads that connects the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway to key areas of the city and a congestion there, especially during the peak hours, has a cascading effect on the other roads.

Commuters said Tuesday was no different and that snarls on the 2km stretch due to the encroachments is a perennial problem.

“The automobile market is situated along the road and significantly adds to the congestion as the repair work on vehicles is conducted on the road. The traffic volume on the stretch only makes matters worse. The mechanics resort to abuses when asked to move,’’ said Dinesh Vashishta, RWA president Sector 5 and 6.

Despite police personnel being deployed on the stretch, there is no relief to the commuters.

Commuters said the haphazardly parked public vehicles and vendor kiosks set up from the temple till the bus stand crossing, leave no space for vehicles to move.

“Traffic jams have become a regular affair on the road. Authorities have failed to clear encroachments and curb illegal parking,” said Meenakshi Sharma a resident of Palam Vihar.

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The residents have complained to the authorities several times but no relief has come their way.

“The foot overbridge, mainly meant for devotees going to the temple, is rarely used by pedestrians and most prefer crossing the road, weaving through the traffic. That adds to the problem. Commuters are left to suffer,” said Kiran Khanna, a resident of Sector 5 who takes the stretch daily.

Meanwhile, the police have formed teams and will start a drive to ensure there is no congestion on the road.

Inspector Jitender Rana, SHO Sector 5, said, “We are starting an anti-encroachment drive on the stretch. From Monday, we have started deploying traffic police personnel and a PCR van on Sheetla Mata Road to ensure smooth flow of traffic.”