Commercial activity on slip roads stalls traffic movement in Amritsar

Manmeet Singh Gill

Amritsar, December 19

Unauthorised use of slip roads alongside the GT road for all kinds of commercial activity — setting up food, vegetable and fruit stalls, parking vehicles and even storing construction material — is causing traffic chaos and inconveniencing commuters in the city.

The residents said the vehicular congestion on the main road could be eased a bit if slip roads were used by vehicles. Shopkeepers on both sides of the GT road have encroached a portion of the slip road in front of their shops to display their goods.

“Slip roads are available for almost every purpose except for the one for which these were constructed in the first place,” quipped Joginder Singh, a resident of the Putlighar area. He said the use of public places for commercial activities should be strictly checked by the authorities concerned.

The slip roads along the GT road passing through the city were constructed around a decade ago when the Bus Rapid Transport System was being built. The purpose of slip roads was to ease the flow of traffic on the main road by making these available for slow-moving vehicles looking for an exit.

Footpaths for pedestrians were also constructed alongside slip roads. However, at present, neither footpaths nor slip roads are available for the public.

Another resident Sukhmeet Singh said, “One of the main reasons for the prevailing traffic chaos in the city is encroachments on slip roads and footpaths.” He said the administration must take notice of the commercial use of slip roads and ensure that these were available for the public.

As more and more people are using four vehicles due to the cold weather conditions, traffic jams have become an order of the day. Residents say lack of traffic sense among a section of society as they do not care about inconvenience caused to others is also a cause of concern.