Clogged roads in dire need of remedial measures

SK Saluja

Chandigarh, being the capital of two states has grown at a faster pace than expected, and so is the traffic. Unfortunately, the scope of widening the roads is limited. Remedial measures such as replacing rotaries with traffic lights, plugging cross movement within various sectors, optimising traffic signals to smoothen the traffic and upgrading public transport system are being implemented in Chandigarh since long. Now, the time has come to think deeply into the issue to address this swelling concern by implementing eco-friendly measures that will take the city one step forward towards Smart City concept.

A few such measures include implementation of more traffic rules such as restricting to lane movement, constant speed movement for smooth movement, dedicated lanes for two-wheelers and cyclists for decongesting the traffic, tapping and encouraging government employees to use public transport by providing them dedicated transport system, optimum utilisation of available space for traffic movement with respect to time by rescheduling the office and business hour timings and routes, relocating government offices in the tricity, building a strong ring road for bypassing the traffic and simultaneously imposing congestion fee, may be nominal initially, for all private vehicles entering Chandigarh, building multiple bus stands in periphery of the city connected with ring road, dedicated transport system connecting these bus stands with Sector 17, reducing private vehicles by introducing odd-even formula, encouraging cycling during favourable weather by providing supporting infrastructure or by providing all weather cycle tracts, drastically relaxing registration fee on two-wheelers and small cars and imposing recurring heavy registration fee on big size private vehicles, encouraging private players to provide world-class transport systems of multiple capacities to shift car goers to public transport, etc. Initially, some of the steps may look harsh, but later on, comfort of travel in the city will overcome every harsh step.

We may go further ahead by restricting ownership of multiple vehicles or pay heavy registration fee for additional vehicle so as to reduce per capita ownership of cars, which strangely at present is little more than one in Chandigarh, allowing purchase of vehicle if one has personal dedicated parking space or can be charged for parking their vehicles in the public area such as parks and internal sector roads, declaring cycle day in Chandigarh at least once in a month, but those who want exemption may be charged congestion tax, imposing restrictions on big fat marriages and other functions or pay congestion tax.

Beginning has to be made by the VVIPs as they send their children to schools in big cars. Schools should take initiatives and make it mandatory for each student to use their dedicated transport system.

Further, most commuters from the peripheral areas and adjoining states travel to Chandigarh in the morning to attend their offices and return in the evening. As a result, there is traffic congestion only on one side of the lane during peak hours. To optimally utilise the available limited space, we can remove the separator and divide the whole road in multiple lanes with markings and allowing more space during peak hours to the side having high traffic intensity. Later on, we can also use road zipper barrier transfer machine to shift the flexi concrete median as per our requirement during the day. It is so convenient to use that it can move the median at a faster speed of up to 16 km ph.

We must understand that by building a flyover at the Tribune roundabout, we are trying to ease traffic by giving faster access at a particular intersection, which will shift the same problem to the adjoining intersections, resulting in need of a series of flyovers causing exponential spurt in vehicular traffic and pollution as everyone wants to settle at a place like Zirakpur due to affordable housing.

Another important step is to carry out detailed traffic study using geo-spatial software technique or by other means to determine the volume of traffic entering Chandigarh for different purposes and the pattern of internal traffic. These inputs shall help in defining grey areas which shall be of great help to public for deciding where to settle and further will bringing more and more solutions to the problem. It is better to take such action as early as possible rather than change the basic character of the City Beautiful, otherwise we will be left with a totally different Chandigarh.

(The writer is an engineer, Water Resources Bhawan, Mohali)