E-Paper
Traffic jams, courtesy traffic cops!
With schools, colleges, university and the High Court closed for summer vacations one expected a temporary lull in traffic snarls and chaos on roads due to no entry of heavy vehicles from 6 am to 10.30 am and then again from 12.30 pm to 6 pm. But the traffic police department appears to have reversed the High Court order. This has resulted in traffic jams near Pani Ki Tanki on Kanpur Road for two hours in the morning and for nearly the same time in the evening.
With schools, colleges, university and the High Court closed for summer vacations one expected a temporary lull in traffic snarls and chaos on roads due to no entry of heavy vehicles from 6 am to 10.30 am and then again from 12.30 pm to 6 pm. But the traffic police department appears to have reversed the High Court order. This has resulted in traffic jams near Pani Ki Tanki on Kanpur Road for two hours in the morning and for nearly the same time in the evening.
This is the time when nearly 70 percent of office-goers living in city west and city south come towards the city north and go back home in the evening. The same is the case with the general public who cannot escape coming to city north for one reason or the other.
But with the traffic police allowing heavy vehicles on the road even during the no-entry period, cars, scooters, three-wheelers and other commuters trying to gain entry in city north through the overbridge find themselves caught between the devil and the deep sea.
They find themselves stranded on the road in this humid weather just because of the traffic police personnel who allow the heavy vehicles' entry even during restricted hours for obvious reasons.
When the High Court had passed the order restricting movement of heavy vehicles in the city during certain hours it had kept in mind the needs of all sections of the society.The order was not meant for the safety of lawyers and the school children alone. But with the HC and schools both being closed it appears the traffic department thought of making hay while the sun shines.
There are five main points to enter city north from the old city side ie city west and south. These include Bairahna, Rambagh, Johnstonganj, Lukerganj overbridge near Pani Ki Tanki and Alopi Bagh.
Out of the above the traffic load on the Rambagh side is quite heavy. With the railway crossing on this side being closed every now and then nearly 70 percent two-wheeler and car drivers prefer a little longer route through the Lukerganj overbridge. But the laid-back attitude of the traffic department during the summer vacations is causing them great inconvenience.
On one hand they do not want to enter from the Rambagh side while on the other they find themselves choked in the midst of blaring horns and smoke billowing trucks. Heavy vehicles coming into the city from Alopi Bagh side and taking on the Kanpur Road from the Pani Ki Tanki area are haphazardly driven and parked by callous drivers. And this is resulting in great traffic jams both during the morning and evening hours.
