Noida district officials scramble to streamline traffic flow as state deadline looms

UP chief secretary Rajiv Kumar had asked all districts to streamline traffic and submit a report by Oct 24

The Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate, BN Singh, directed the Noida authority and traffic police to take steps on an eight-point agenda to improve on-road traffic management and streamline traffic movement in the district.

The state government issued a letter to all district heads to enforce road rules between September 25 and October 24. (Sunil Ghosh/HT FILE)

The move follows an order issued by the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary, Rajiv Kumar, to officials of all districts to streamline traffic movement and ensure smooth passage to motorists.

The eight-point directive includes measures such as removing encroachment from roadsides, pavements and footpaths, shifting of poles from roads, painting traffic signs, taking action against illegal parking, repairing damaged central verge, repairing dysfunctional traffic signals and enforcing traffic norms, among others.

The chief secretary, at a meeting held on September 14 in Lucknow, had directed the district magistrates in all districts to improve traffic management. The state government issued a letter to all district heads to conduct drives between September 25 and October 24 to enforce the law on roads and public spaces. The district magistrates are also directed to submit action-taken reports to the chief secretary by October 27.

However, there seems to have been little progress in this regard as city roads continue to be congested.

“Despite the orders from the chief secretary, the Noida authority and the traffic police have failed to improve traffic management. Vendors and shopkeepers have grabbed roadsides and footpaths. Many points such as Mamura Road, Sector 27, Harola Road and Nayabans Road, among others, witness traffic congestion during the peak hour due to encroachments of roadsides but neither the police nor the Noida authority has taken action so far,” said Vipin Chauhan, a resident of Sector 49.

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Officials of the Noida authority and the traffic police said they are undertaking drives to improve the situation.

“We have sent the chief secretary’s letter to our all work circle officers, for removal of encroachment and repair of traffic signals. Our officials are taking all required steps on the issue,” said Sandip Chandra, senior project engineer of the Noida authority.

“We have issued over 5,000 challans to motorists for violating traffic norms. Multiple teams are deployed in many areas to enforce traffic norms in line with the state government order. We will continue to take stern action to streamline traffic management,” said Layak Singh, traffic inspector, Noida.

UP industries minister, Satish Mahana, on October 10, also set up a separate committee headed by the Noida authority CEO Alok Tandon to look into congestion related issues but the committee is yet to take any action.