Chandigarh traffic police installed makeshift roundabouts putting white colored drums at junctions in sector 50; (below) One of traffic lights on Madhya Marg. (Express photo: Jaipal Singh)The Absence of dedicated lanes for vehicles turning right at some of the busiest light points on Madhya Marg is causing inconvenience to commuters going straight as those wanting to turn right took up the maximum space on the road.
This inconvenience is being faced at three light points including Railway Light Point, Transport Light Point and Press Light Point 17 on Madhya Marg. From the last one month, the Chandigarh traffic police started giving maximum green signal time to vehicles going straight and less time to the vehicles turning right. The system was adopted on trial basis following the recommendation of a private agency, which was hired by the UT engineering department, to find out the solutions for easy the traffic flow on main roads in Chandigarh.
At railway light point, motorists going towards IT Park and Manimajra used to turn right. At the transport light point, motorists take a right turn to approach Transport Area, Bapu Dham Colony and the backside of Grain Market, 26. At the Sector 17 light point, people turn right to go towards sectors 8 and 9 and towards Sukhna Lake.
SSP (traffic) Shanshank Anand accepted commuters faced inconvenience. He said, “The problem has come to our notice. The main reason behind it is the absence of sign boards, dedicated lanes, and awareness of lane driving and the new system. We will recommend the marking of lanes, signboards to the UT engineering department. The new system is indeed proving beneficial for easing traffic congestion. We have installed red colored plastic cones giving specific space of left turn vehicles on some roads, but it is not possible to install them for vehicles turning to the right also.”
Sources said the new system was introduced keeping in the mind the volume of traffic going straight from Panchkula to Chandigarh, which always remains heavy. It is the reason that the traffic signal for vehicles going straight remains green for a longer time.
“There is no dedicated lane to segregation vehicles going straight and to the right from the light points. Most of the motorists tend to take a right turn blocking the main road despite the green signal for motorists going straight. It is a big nuisance we face every morning,” said Rakesh Kumar, a daily commuter from Panchkula Sector 17 to Chandigarh.
Square shaped signs on slip roads
Engineering wing of UT administration has made square shaped signboards suggesting commuters from the distance that ahead these signs is slip road and they should not stop their vehicles on these roads. The first four signages were drawn at the four corners of roundabout Sector 32/33/20/30. Officials say such signages were made at other locations also.
Traffic police ask for permanent small roundabouts
After getting a positive response on the concept of makeshift roundabouts, UT traffic police decided to write to Chief Architect of Chandigarh for making them permanent at both locations including Sector 51A/D and Sector 50A/D. SSP (traffic) Shashank Anand said, “We have observed that the makeshift roundabouts made from white-colored drums reduce accidents. They proved beneficial is slowing down speeding vehicles. We are going to write a letter to the office of Chief Architect, Chandigarh. We are in the process to identify other locations also, where such roundabouts can be made.”
