Close 22 punctures in road dividers causing traffic jams, cops tell NMC

Nagpur: As many 22 busy roads are witnessing chaos due to unnecessary punctures in dividers across the city, states a survey carried out by the traffic police.
Headed by deputy commissioner of police Sarang Awad, the traffic police have approached the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to close the punctures in the road dividers.
Traffic cops told TOI that apart from traffic congestion, these road cuttings are also contributing to minor and sometimes, major accidents too.
According to them, most of the roads in the city have been widened and also have proper dividers.
In proportion to the rising population in the city, the number of vehicles plying on city roads too has increased considerably. Punctures in road dividers are being used as short-cuts by many, the traffic cops observed.
Even the road cutting in the divider of the Sakkardara flyover ramp on Umred Road side too is facing similar problems.
The study also found the road cutting between Mate Chowk to RPTS is also an accident-prone spot apart from creating congestion.
Citing an example, traffic cops pointed out that the cutting in the road divider near Bharat Nagar turning point on busy Amravati Road has literary become an accident-prone zone.
On this road, many motorists, especially two-wheeler riders, on either side of the road suddenly take a U-turn and cause mishaps.
The road cutting near Baidyanath Square has become prone to traffic congestion with private buses operating from nearby places and unruly autorickshaws. To avoid the detour route, private buses use this cut quite often and it has become a chockablock spot, traffic cops said.
Similar is the situation at two more spots on the stretch from Jadhav Square to Agyaram Devi Square. With stops of private buses on this stretch, dividers were punctured at two places on a small stretch leading to chaos, the study added.
The study even pointed out the need to close the puncture on the nner Ring Road near the Gorewada gate.
The road cutting near Santra Market Metro station is also contributing to the jam on the already congested stretch.
Traffic cops also pointed out how trees planted on the dividers too are contributing to accidents. “In many places like Civil Lines, Ramdaspeth, Ravi Nagar etc, the NMC has planted trees on the dividers. Though the plants on the dividers save motorists from the glare of the high beam headlight from oncoming vehicles, they also obstruct the visibility of drivers near the punctures in the dividers, which result in accidents,” the traffic police said.
NMC’s traffic engineering department will now conduct a spot inspection and then take a decision to close the punctures in the road dividers at 22 different places in the city.
PUNCTURED PROBLEMS
* Reckless driving
* Traffic jams
* Accidents
* Noise pollution due to honking
* Air pollution
CLOSE CUT IN DIVIDERS
* Gorewada Ring Road gate
* Santra Market Metro station
* Baidyanath Chowk petrol pump
* Bharat Nagar turning on Amravati Road
* Mate Chowk to RPTS Road
* Kalamna Chowk to Chikhli Chowk
* Kharbi Square to Wathoda Square
* Jadhav Chowk to Agyaram Devi Chowk