Flouting traffic rules: No check on drivers taking wrong turns from junctions meant for pedestrians

Manmeet Singh Gill

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Amritsar, February 7

The municipal corporation (MC) had recently completed construction of junctions at all major traffic intersections to help pedestrians cross roads safely. However, instead of helping pedestrians, these are rather misused by people driving vehicles on wrong side of the road or to take an early U-turn without reaching designated points at traffic intersections.

Of late, the traffic police has set up a special naka on Mall Road to check people coming on wrong side from Joshi Colony. Earlier, people used to drive on the wrong side of the road till Company Bagh gate. The efforts of the traffic police have solved the problem to some extent. People drive on the left side of the road till cops stand on the naka.

Pedestrian junctions have been constructed near the entrance of Nehru Shopping Complex parking. Drivers bring their vehicles out of the parking lot and drive on the wrong side towards Novelty Chowk before getting over to the left side of the road through the pedestrian junction.

Thankfully, the passage was closed with tiles and construction material on Wednesday. However, on other intersections such as SSSS Chowk, Custom Chowk and Kacheri Chowk, people in habit of driving on wrong side make the most use of these junctions meant for pedestrians.

A resident Sukhwinder Kaur said, “The public should learn to use infrastructure in a proper way. Instead of solving the problem for pedestrians, these junctions are inadvertently encouraging wrong side driving.”

She suggested that pillars can be installed to restrict the entry of four and two-wheelers on intersections while pedestrians can easily cross the road.

A traffic official posted on the Lawrence road said challans were issued to those who violated traffic norms, especially for driving on wrong side of the road. He said a special naka had been set up near Thandi Khooi opposite Company Bagh to check wrong side driving.