Voters raise concern over Amritsar’s poor public transport system

Amritsar, May 29

With the poll campaigning now in last leg, the long-pending demand of citizens to shift the Amritsar ISBT out of the city was raised before candidates, including BJP’s Taranjit Singh Sandhu Samundri, SAD’s Anil Joshi, SAD (A)’s Imaan Singh Mann, AAP’s Kuldeep Dhaliwal and Congress’s Gurjit Aujla. In a citizen-meet, helmed by the CII with several organisations and civil society members, the issue of shifting ISBT out of city limits was raised in the vision document as it was presented to various political candidates. The move would help reduce traffic congestion and provide last mile road connectivity to commuters.

While the interstate roadways in Punjab are well-developed, the Amritsar ISBT has fallen short of offering last-mile connectivity and a viable local commute for tourists as well as locals. Further, it continues to create a traffic nightmare for commuters, given heavy rush of buses and no space for expansion.

The shifting of ISBT to Vallah was proposed in 2015 and the then government had made efforts with former MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu facilitating a comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) prepared by the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC), which had proposed to shift ISBT out of the city for infrastructural development.

While Amritsar International Airport and railway station have been upgraded through infrastructural development and expansion, the bus terminal remains ignored.

Currently, located in the heart of city on the GT road, the construction of the elevated road on the Amritsar- Jalandhar flyover too did not provide a solution in decongesting the traffic in the area. The area around the present bus stand, which includes commercial hub and several hotels, witnesses heavy vehicular traffic throughout the day. Government officials were of the view that shifting the bus stand would provide space for buses running under the City Bus Service scheme.

Another related demand for better road connectivity in city remains the under-utilisation of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), which remains suspended since last year. In absence of any last mile connectivity for locals and tourists from city to Attari border, airport to the city centre, all tourist places to the city, BRTS was never fully conceptualised as per its vision and potential. Lack of any well-connected public transport system in city has been a biggest bane for tourism industry and significant for traffic management, which the city lacks.— TNS

Flyover fails to provide relief

• The construction of the elevated road on the Amritsar-Jalandhar flyover too did not provide a solution in decongesting the traffic in the area. The area around the present bus stand, which includes commercial hub and several hotels, witnesses traffic jam throughout the day.
• While Amritsar International Airport and railway station have been upgraded through infrastructural development and expansion, the bus terminal remains ignored.