Heavy vehicles turn commute into ordeal

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, April 9

The issue of regular traffic jams due to the use of commercial areas by hundreds of transporters for parking their vehicles has reached the Chief Minister’s office.

Fed up with the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation and the traffic police over jams, a city-based activist, Sanjay Sehgal, has written to the CM in this regard.

The letter reads, “Despite spending crores on developing Transport Nagar by the Jalandhar Improvement Trust and the MC in 1995, hundreds of transporters are operating from Patel Chowk, Mahalakshmi Mandir Old Jail Road, Hotel Dolphin Chowk, Opposite Joshi Hospital, Harnamdasspura Pura Gurdwara Road, New Grain Market, Gazi Gulla Road, HMV College Road and New Gopal Nagar near Sri Krishan Murari Mandir. Many transporters have not moved to Transport Nagar despite having their own plots. Thus, it has become a big problem for commuters and pedestrians.”

Sehgal had written to the MC as well, but civic body and the traffic police passed the buck. He said, “The MC said the issue is under the traffic police’s jurisdiction, while the latter replied that the matter is to be handled by civic body. Where does residents go? Each monring our little commutes turn into hour-long ordeals due to jams caused by heavy vehicles. At Gopal Hoshiarpur Adda and Adda Tanda, poles to restrict vehicles have been removed. Service lanes are being used by transporters.”

The activist said, “If daries can be shifted to Jamsher Diary Complex by the MC then why not transporters.”

MC Commssioner Karnesh Sharma said, “MC Commssioner Karnesh Sharma said, “The issue to move transporters to Trasport Nagar has been taken up several times. Before elections, a meeting was held with the traffic police and the project was near execution. This has to be done as a joint operation with the police. At present, we are working on the issue and are comitted to solve the problem along with the police.”

Gagnesh Kumar, ADCP, Traffic Police, said, “We try to stop them as it leads to huge traffic bottlenecks. We also had a meeting at Transport Nagar yesterday and will be going again tomorrow. We are working on moving heavy vehicles and tranporters away from the city. We will find a solution within a few days.”