3-km stretch between ISBT, New Amritsar locality a nightmare for city residents

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 26

A nearly three-km stretch on the NH-1, popularly known as the Amritsar-Jalandhar GT road, between Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Interstate Bus Terminus (ISBT) and the New Amritsar locality, has become a nightmare for residents of a large number of localities on its either side.

In addition, the stretch gains importance as it is used by buses and tourists arriving by road to the holy city.

Buses halt in the middle of the road to pick up passengers and even drop off passengers outside the ISBT, often blocking the flow of the traffic.

Expecting to pick up customers, autos and cycle rickshaws also flock around these buses, resulting in a traffic chaos. Since the administration has not provided a designated spot near the bus stand, all these auto-rickshaws vie for customers on the road. Continuous honking and ear-piercing sound of auto-rickshaw engines adds to noise pollution. Scorching heat accentuates the problem.

A resident of New Golden Avenue on the same stretch, Harpinder Singh Walia, says it is almost impossible for pedestrians of the localities on the stretch to cross over to either side on the main highway. An immense flow of all kinds of vehicles including heavy ones poses danger. He recalls that the Municipal Corporation once announced to construct subways at such places some years ago. Since then, there is no stirring on this promise. He said these subways were highly required outside New Amritsar, Maqboolpura chowk, 100 feet road chowk and outside the Panj Peer localities.

Another resident of the same stretch, Prof Mohan Singh (retd), feels that any effort to streamline vehicular traffic anywhere, particularly in a small but thickly populated city like Amritsar, will certainly throw up spinoffs in unexpected areas like health and environment. “The police should diversify from ‘just helmets’. Penalties for blatant infringements coupled with periodic pressure, requests from authorities over TV, could play a meaningful role.”

He says most of the residents commuting on the stretch are delayed in reaching schools, colleges and offices. A smooth traffic is suggestive of understanding and appreciation of road grammar and hence inculcates discipline.

“An automatic improvement in civic sense is a direct corollary. Haphazard traffic is the mother of all indiscipline including encroachments on road space. Streamline traffic and you will have removed pressure horns and speeding with one stroke”, he remarked.

He seeks strict enforcement of basic rules of the road and ensure smooth driving. Careless driving from a licensed motorist is more dangerous than perfectly skilled road behaviour from an ‘unlicensed’ road user.