Truckers cause frequent traffic jams near Chheharta

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 6

The huge warehouses for storing foodgrains near Chheharta have thrown traffic out of gear on the main road which connects the city with many villages in the area. As a large number of trucks are parked on the roadside outside the warehouses, only a narrow path is available for the vehicular traffic. As a result, traffic jams are a frequent phenomena.

The proximity of the road to Chehharta railway station from where grain is loaded on to trains for transportation to far-away areas further aggravates the problem. The trucks waiting to enter the railway yards also cause traffic jams in the narrow bazaar.

A local resident, Balwinder Singh, said, “The problem is at its peak every time the gates are closed for the trains to pass. In the meantime, a large number of vehicles, including trucks, gather on each side. It takes hours before the traffic jam is cleared.”

Even the main road inside the bazaar has large potholes which makes the journey for these trucks slower. The residents also complained that if the shopkeepers are stopped from encroaching on the roadsides, which they often do by displaying goods outside shops, the road could be widened for traffic.

The road stretch from Kasel to Chehharta has three warehouses. As a result, hundreds of trucks can be seen parked there. Commutes demand that the trucks should be parked inside the warehouses while they await their turn and not on the road.

A visit to the place revealed that because of the trucks parked on both sides of the road, only a single vehicle can pass through at a time. The traffic from the other side comes to a standstill until all vehicles from the opposite side pass through.

The commuters demanded that instead of rushing all trucks to the warehouses at the same time, the authorities concerned should send only those many trucks which could be accommodated inside the premises of the warehouses.