Rising no. of auto-rickshaws add to traffic woes in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

Neeraj Bagga

Amritsar, November 16

Going by the records of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), only 15,654 auto-rickshaws and 692 e-rickshaws were registered during the past nearly 22 years, but the exact number of autos running on roads must be much higher. These two types of autos were registered from Amritsar and Tarn Taran with the RTA during the period from January 1, 2000, to November 15 this year.

Commuters say the exact number of autos is much higher. They feel autos are a major cause of traffic mess witnessed on prominent roads daily. Their high number and non-compliance of traffic norms are major reasons for the worsening traffic scenario.

Harpreet Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran, who daily commutes to the holy city to join office, said as per the norms, autos are not allowed to ply on the highways, but these could be spotted on the road linking Amritsar and Tarn Taran, besides taking tourists to the Attari border for the retreat ceremony.

He said autos were often seen emitting toxic fumes on busy roads indicating that obsolete autos were being driven on roads causing air pollution.

Anil Vinayak, a resident of the Race Course road, said long traffic snarls and recurring traffic jams had made the roads a hell for commuters. Traffic Police in association with commuters should take steps to ease traffic woes faced by commuters, particularly residents.

The city needs to curb the entry of three-wheelers and auto-rickshaws on certain roads witnessing a thick volume of traffic. Besides, more paid parking lots are needed to remove congestion on roads. The Hall Gate and the Bhandari railway overbridge should be declared as a no-protest zone.

Arashdeep Singh Lobana, Secretary, RTA, did not disagree with the claim that the exact number of autos might be higher than the registered ones. He said the department would check the plying of autos on the highways.

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