NOIDA: An area with wide roads and designed to be signal-free would, ordinarily, not have to worry about traffic jams or congestion. Unless it happens to be Sector 18, the shopping and entertainment hot spot and Noida’s version of the Mall Mile.
Traffic police and the Noida Authority are dusting off a three-year-old proposal to introduce a one-way traffic system in Sector 18.
Traffic turning into Noida and headed towards Spice Mall or the elevated road usually chokes before the underpass, particularly on weekday evenings, and on weekends, clogging up the entire stretch between the DLF and GIP malls.
Inside the sector, roadside parking has narrowed motorable area of a road, reducing the traffic speed. When the volume of cars increases, it leads to jams and frayed tempers.
During a late-evening recce of the sector on Monday, SP (traffic) Anil Jha, Noida Authority chief project engineer Rajeev Tyagi and project engineer SC Mishra discussed a one-way traffic plan as well as the need for more signage and streetlights. The traffic police subsequently sent a proposal to the Noida Authority, which has now sought suggestions from the Sector 18 market association on how traffic movement can be improved.
“The sector lacks proper signage for parking that can make access to the multi-level parking (MLP) easier,” Jha said on Tuesday. “Surface parking inside the sector is disturbing traffic movement at the corners. Waterlogging continues to plague inner roads. The footpaths are as high as a metre. This needs to be brought down to 12-15 centimetres.”
Officials said DLF, which has been given charge of handling parking in the area, will be asked to install signage for the MLP.
Jha said that the one-way movement proposal envisaged the traffic movement on the lines of Connaught Place in Delhi where entry and exit routes do not interfere with each other or bother the commuters.
CP, however, has a circular design. Sector 18 is more in the shape of a square. Currently, there are about 11 entry/exit points to the sector. Authorities are planning to get an aerial survey done with the help of drones after the kanwar yatra.
The market association, which has been opposing the closure of China-cut, has said it will first listen to what the authorities are planning and share its suggestions accordingly. Jha, however, said solving commuting problems would be prioritised.
The internal roads of the sector are plagued by illegal parking
