Frequent traffic jams plague bus stand

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 31

In the absence of proper traffic management outside bus stand where a major portion of the road has been dug up for construction purpose, commuters are forced bear traffic snarls regularly. The passage for the traffic has narrowed because of the ongoing construction activity. Besides, haphazard parking of auto-rickshaws along roadside slows the traffic resulting in long jams frequently.

Long queues of vehicles moving at a snail’s pace can be seen throughout the day near bus stand. Auto-rickshaw drivers’ tendency to halt to pick up passengers moving on the road further worsens the problem. With auto-rickshaws moving as slowly as possible while waiting for passengers, other vehicles, too, are forced to move at a snail’s pace.

Kishori Lal, a shopkeeper nearby bus stand said, “Traffic jams on this stretch are a routine affair. Whenever policemen are not keeping a watch or busy checking other vehicles, auto-rickshaw drivers turn to their usual self.” He said more number of policemen were required at bus stand to manage traffic.

Drivers of vehicles stranded in jam complained that the traffic police must not allow auto-rickshaws to wait for passengers on the road outside bus stand. “The road has already narrowed due to construction activity and these auto-rickshaws further aggravate the problem. Auto-rickshaw drivers’ park their vehicles parallel to each other thereby leaving no space for movement,” said one of the commuters stranded in a traffic jam.

The area residents complained that due to frequent traffic jams, it had become difficult even for ambulances to ferry patients to hospitals in case of an emergency. “Though the Civil Hospital is just half a kilometre from bus stand, due to frequent traffic jams it takes almost 20 minutes to reach there,” said another shopkeeper Himmat Singh.