Barricades, haphazard parking add to commuters’ woes
Commuters on the roads, leading from Sultanwind Gate and its adjoining inner streets, and the path from Bagh Ramanand to the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial and Darbar Sahib, are a disturbed lot due to the defunct hydraulic automatic barricades. Instead of repairing the barricades, the authorities concerned have installed temporary fences to block the roads, creating hurdles for commuters, including vehicle riders, pedestrians and local residents.
Naresh Johar, an RTI activist, highlighted the daily difficulties being faced by thousands of pilgrims and tourists who use the Sultanwind Gate and Bagh Ramanand (Gheo Mandi Gate) routes to visit Darbar Sahib and Jallianwala Bagh. “The defunct barricades and the closure of roads have made commuting in and out of the market extremely difficult,” he said.
The closure of the roads has also led to widespread haphazard parking along temporary fences installed by the administration, further compounding traffic congestion. Heavy traffic caused by auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws, and private vehicles results in frequent jams in key areas such as Town Hall Chowk, Shaheed Sahib Chowk, Katra Farid, Katra Sher Singh, Shastri Market, Shakti Nagar Chowk, Lawrence Road and near the railway station and the bus stand.
The situation is particularly troublesome for pilgrims and tourists visiting Darbar Sahib that attracts thousands of visitors daily from across the world. The Heritage Street and main routes to Darbar Sahib are encroached by street vendors and vehicles parked haphazardly.
Balwant Singh, a local resident, said, “It is disheartening to see the roads choc-a-block with vehicles and unwanted structures when so many pilgrims and tourists come here daily. The lack of proper management is tarnishing the city’s image.”
Asha Sharma, another city resident, said, “The temporary fences are not a solution. Rather, they are creating more problems by forcing people to park vehicles on roads, which worsens traffic jams. The MC needs to address this issue urgently.”
