Nagpur: The meeting organized by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) on traffic jams at Jaistambh Square ended without a solution as consultant RITES rejected the solutions proposed by MSRDC, zonal railway users committee (ZRUCC) and Vidarbha Taxpayers’ Association (VTA). RITES officials stressed that only short term solution was installation of traffic lights at the square. They did not have any long term solution for the problem.
VTA member Tejinder Singh Renu told TOI that RITES suggested that signals should be programmed in such a way that traffic in one direction stops at the square for 1.40 minutes. “This too will create traffic jams as there will be a long queue of vehicles at the traffic signal,” he said.
Renu further said that RITES officials only said that an integrated body comprising officials of NMC, NIT, Railways, Ministry of Defense and MahaMetro should be set up to deal with the issue. “They said that further study was needed for a for long term solution and land acquisition was needed. As land near the square belongs to Railways and Ministry of Defense their representation was a must,” he added.
RITES officials also said that traffic would reduce after Nagpur Metro project becomes functional. “This logic is flawed because world over experience shows that the volume goes down only for three to four before increasing because of increase in population and number of vehicles,” Renu said.
Demolition of Station Road flyover was also discussed. “VTA took a stand that this should not be done until the owners of shops below the structure were properly rehabilitated,” Renu said.