Gurgaon: Insufficient pedestrian infrastructure and inadequate mass transport systems are among major traffic problems that the city is facing, the GMDA’s comprehensive mobility plan has stated.
According to the plan, although walking accounts for a large share of movement in the city, there are lack of footpaths and road crossing facilities, which make pedestrians all the more vulnerable to road accidents. Even in places that have footpaths, the plan has raised questions on the quality. “The walkability index within the study area is estimated as low as 0.68,” says the plan, which was approved by the chief minister last month.
Not just footpaths, there are no separate lanes for non-motorised vehicles too. The absence of cycle tracks, the plan mentions, not only leads to unsafe traffic conditions in the city but has also force people to shun the habit of using bicycles as a mode of transport.
The problem is aggravated by inadequate mass transit facilities, the mobility report says. A senior GMDA official pointed to the lack of bus services in the city. “The city bus services offered by Haryana Roadways and GMCBL have limited coverage and are inadequate for a city that is always on the move. As a result, more and more people are dependent on personal modes of transport. There are inadequate bus terminals too, both inter-city and intra-city,” the official added.
The plan also mentions the need to augment road and railway connectivity between Gurgaon and Delhi. Referring to the GMDA plan, TOI had reported earlier that more than two-thirds of the residents travelling out of the city are headed to Delhi, either for work or personal engagements. Despite the high traffic with Delhi, there are only two direct links, which cause congestion on the national highway, the report had said.
Apart from these infrastructural shortcomings, there aren’t enough bypasses in the city to handle the huge volume of traffic, it says. What makes things worse is the lack of parking spaces. “Overall, there is lack of understanding of the urban transport issues,” states the plan.
Told about the deficiencies, GMDA officials said they would work on the suggestions provided in the mobility plan and aim at addressing traffic issues at the earliest.