Missing grillwork at stretch of BRTS corridor on GT road invites mishaps

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 23

The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor stretching from Cherherta to railway station is more prone to accidents than before. The cause is missing of the iron grills. The entire stretch has several points missing the grillwork, hence paving way for trespassing and accidents. The bus service here has been restored after the lifting of the lockdown and so has the misuse of corridor only meant for metro buses increased with each passing day.

Shivinder Singh, a shopkeeper on the stretch outside Khalsa College, says that the road is witnesses heavy traffic and road mishaps time anad again. “The open space provided by broken iron grills give freeway to traffic rules violators, who drive inside the BRTS lane at high speed causing accidents. Also, it creates nuisance for commuters on GT road as people use the BRTS lane for interlane crossing,” he shares.

At some points, rehris have been installed by some vendors to encroach the corridor or to make an illegal passage for them to cross the road. The dysfunctional streetlights at these junctions are only propelling the possibility of accidents as it creates a problem for driving at night. “The stretch here was the cause of a freak accident a year back,” Shivinder recalls, before adding, “It must be kept under strict check.”

Moreover, residents allegations connect the missing points to the theft of iron grills by miscreants and the suspension in maintenance works by MC and PWD during the lockdown. “Many drug addicts and petty thieves steal the iron grills to sell in scrap market to generate money, says Puran Chand Narang, a resident of Shori Nagar, near GNDU BRTS junction. He also points the finger of blame toward shopkeepers. “Sometimes its shopkeepers who break these grills to make passages. With these vulnerable spaces open for traffic violations, the number of road mishaps at the GT Road too is high,” he adds.