Shift ISBT for permanent solution to traffic congestion: Amritsar residents

Tribune News Service

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, December 3

The ongoing drive of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation to shift out vends from the vending zones is not making much difference around the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT). Residents claim that the shifting of the bus stand is the only solution.

A number of residents are hopeful that with this drive of the MC, commuters would get relief from routine traffic jams around the bus stand. However, a large section of residents observed that it would not be a permanent solution as vendors are not the only obstacle in the smooth movement of traffic. The roads around the bus stand are congested and not fit for the movement of interstate and intrastate buses. Adding to the problem are auto-rickshaws, which are stopped on the road to pick and drop passengers, around the ISBT. The auto-rickshaw driver unions never allow authorities to implement their plan to streamline the auto rickshaws pick up and drop out points.

Residents, who face traffic jams on roads around the ISBT, have been raising the demand to shift it to Vallah as it will assist in decongesting the area around. It will minimise danger to commuters and tourists while crossing the roads around Inter-State Bus Terminal.

The residents claim that the shifting of ISBT would resolve traffic problems on many roads, including the stretch from Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh Shaheedan to Rambagh Chowk, GT Road Maqbool Chowk to Bhandari railway overbridge and other places.

“Besides, air and sound pollution also affect the Golden Temple, which is less than 1 km from the bus stand. All the main road links connecting the Vallah area and it would be better to shift ISBT to Vallah,” said Michal Rahul, a social activist.

The office-bearers of the Amritsar Vikas Manch also wrote to CM Bhagwant Mann suggesting him to shift ISBT to Vallah.

Long-pending demand

The shifting of ISBT to Vallah was proposed in 2015 and the then government had made efforts for it. Former MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu made efforts and took up the issue with higher officials. In 2015, the comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) prepared by the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC), a department of the Local Government, for infrastructure development of the city for the next four decades, also proposed to shift ISBT out of the city.

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