Move to clear traffic maze

THE EFFORTS to decongest Charbagh gained momentum with Transport Minister Naresh Agrawal constituting a joint committee on Tuesday to suggest ways to free the area from traffic bottlenecks.

THE EFFORTS to decongest Charbagh gained momentum with Transport Minister Naresh Agrawal constituting a joint committee on Tuesday to suggest ways to free the area from traffic bottlenecks.

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The decision to set up the joint committee was taken at a high-level meeting called by the minister.

The committee comprising officers from various departments, with the Municipal Corporation as a nodal body, will identify bottlenecks at Charbagh and on other routes and give its report with suggestions to the transport minister within 15 days.

Following the meeting, RTO decided not to allow maxi cabs to stop on Charbagh for longer durations. They could only pick and drop passengers. It was decided to force the maxi cabs to operate on the entire route for which the permits had been granted to them and not only on the part hereof. At present, maxi cabs have permits to ply on three routes, Rajajipuram-PGI, Ashiyana-Engineering College and Gomti Nagar-Dubagga.

At the meeting it was suggested that Charbagh Railway Station should have an entry and exit gate from the opposite side too, with the conveyance being available there. This will help decongest Charbagh as people staying in places like Alambagh, Ashiana, Kanpur Road, Cant, Telibagh and Sarojninagar will avoid using the main road in front of Charbagh Station. It was also suggested that trains be stopped on about half a dozen small halts in the city. The halts include Alamnagar, Gomti Nagar, Badshahanagar, Daliganj and Ashiana. It was felt that stopping of the trains on these stations would also help decongest the Charbagh area. People staying around these stations won’t have to go to Charbagh to board a train. One of the officers suggested that the Railway Stadium could be converted into a parking lot. The DRM said he would discuss the suggestions with appropriate authorities.

Those who participated in the meeting included principal secretary (Transport) Rajendra Bhaunwal, divisional railway manager RK Gupta, managing director, UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) Deepak Trivedi, director (Traffic) Brijlal, SSP Ashutosh Pandey, additional transport commissioner Rameshwar Dayal, additional municipal commissioner Santosh Kumar and RTO, Gangaphal among others.