Gurugram police conduct test run of steps to ease congestion

Traffic police officials and road safety officers placed cones to demarcate a designated lane for parking of auto rickshaw drivers.

The traffic police on Tuesday launched several measures, on a trial basis, to decongest the Huda City Centre Metro station junction including designating one lane for auto-rickshaws.

Traffic police officials said vehicular movement was not affected during in the drive. (Yogendra Kumar/HT Photo)

The drive was conducted between 8.30am and 9.45am with assistance from road safety officers (RSOs), said police.

Jagbir, traffic inspector East-2, who uses first name, said the junction witnesses heavy traffic especially during office hours. “The vehicles coming from sector 31 side were diverted to take a U-turn and those coming from Signature tower side were diverted towards a service lane. One lane was reserved for auto rickshaw drivers, who park on main roads and cause traffic congestion. We are trying to ensure that vehicles are not parked on the main road,” said Jagbir.

Traffic police officials and RSOs placed cones to demarcate a designated lane for parking of auto rickshaw drivers.

Neeraj Dewan, a road safety officer, said though the drive was a trial run, it would become a permanent feature if successful.

“It has been noticed that auto rickshaws, coming from Bakhtwar chowk side drop passengers at the gate of metro station and block the traffic coming from Signature chowk side. So, we tried to move them to one lane and ensure that way of traffic is not blocked,” said Dewan.

Traffic police officials said vehicular movement was not affected during in the drive.

Sarika Panda Bhatt, Head, Integrated Transport and Road Safety, World Resources Institute (WRI), said the junction is a multi-modal transit hub with buses, autos, shuttle services, private cabs and two wheelers crossing it due to the proximity to a metro station, a hospital and roads leading to Delhi-Gurugram expressway, MG road, Golf Course and DLF phase 4.

“To ease traffic congestion, there should be fixed pick up and drop points for cabs and auto rickshaws. An auto rickshaw stand near metro station could help ease traffic flow and nullify wrong lane driving to an extent. In the long run, such measures are required,” she said.

On Monday, the Gurugram police had said it would install loudspeakers at 50 locations across the city to announce live traffic updates, diversions and messages urging the drivers to follow traffic rules. The police had installed a loudspeaker at a traffic signal on the road leading to sector 52 near Huda City Centre metro station.