Ensure checking of private vehicles’ entry, removal of black spots on dedicated road

Charanjit Singh Teja

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Amritsar, April 4

Though the Metro bus service being run under the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) has been operational for the last six years and facing various challenges, no government body or authority has ever reviewed the issues being faced during the implementation of the project. Most of the Metro buses face traffic problems almost regularly. According to bus drivers, commuters and traffic experts’ routes need to be reviewed, entry of private vehicles in corridor should be stopped and black spots needed to be fixed.

A total of 92 low-floor air-conditioned buses are being run on the dedicated 31-km corridor, covering key locations of the city and catering to an average of around 37,000 commuters per day. There are two main dedicated routes on which bus route numbers 301 and 201 buses run from Verka to India Gate and India Gate to Golden Gate.

Bus route number 301 coming from Verka takes turn towards the Mall Road from Celebration Mall. This bus takes further turn from Kacheri Chowk to the Irrigation Department office and then reach the railway station. Bus route number 301 takes a U-turn near Grand Hotel to reach the Metro bus station outside the railway station. After every five minutes, buses keep taking a U-turn from that particular spot after every five minutes, creating a traffic mess for common public. The Railway Road already witnesses a heavy traffic during the morning and evening peak hours and Metro bus drivers often get stuck there in a traffic jam.

A number of drivers and commuters feel that the BRTS authorities should redesign the route to avoid traffic jams near Grand Hotel. “Bus route number 301 should drop passengers bound for the railway station at the Canal Department office Metro station and turn towards the Sadar station for India Gate,” Naresh Johar, a regular passenger of the Metro bus service.

Similarly, bus route number 201 need not go to the Crystal Chowk. Rather it should be routed from Petrol Pump Chowk to Bhandari Bridge and passengers bound for Queens Road should take bus route number 301 and alight at the Alexandra station. This way, bus route number 201 can avoid traffic jams near the Crystal Chowk.

Most of the corridor is one way for the Metro buses except Mall Road. Passengers willing to board Metro buses from Batala Road can use the facility to reach any destination on the Mall Road, but while returning from the GT Road bus route 301 should be diverted to Queens Road. “The corridor at the Mall Road needs to be widened at some spots or there should be alternative transport to feed the Metro station on Queens Road. Otherwise, the service is useless for thousands of employees working in different offices at the Mall Road, Lawrence Road and Court road,” said Mandeep Singh, a telecom employee at Lawrence Road.

Metro bus drivers face various other issues. With private vehicles and pedestrians using the BRTS corridor, the drivers have to apply the brakes frequently as a result of which they take longer time to reach their destination stations. A number of road accidents have been reported in the past here due to the entry of private vehicles on the BRTS route. Ironically, the authorities concerned have failed to check the issues.

Besides, black spots on the corridor also lead to accidents of commuters. A committee, constituted by the state government, had identified nine black spots on the 31-km-long BRTS corridor in August 2019. The black spots were identified at Bhandari Bridge, the BRTS station outside the railway station, Valmiki Chowk, Putligarh Chowk, Civil Hospital, Ramtalai Chowk, Husainpura Chowk, Mall Mandi Chowk and outside Alpha Mall. The volume of traffic at Bhandari Bridge has eased after the construction of another railway bridge.