Parking of trucks on road hinders traffic flow

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 14

Parking of heavy vehicles, especially trucks, on the stretch from Akali Phula Singh road to Ghee Mandi road and Shera Wala Gate road create bottlenecks for tourists heading towards the Golden Temple.

The stretch, along with the elevated road passing over it, witnessing a heavy rush of tourists coming in vehicles to pay obeisance at the shrine.

Tourists face inconvenience and difficulties because of parked trucks on the road. Offices of some transport companies are located in this area. Trucks, tempo and other goods carriers of these companies are parked on the road.

Keeping in view the daily flow of tourists, these routes passing through Ghee Mandi and Shera Wala Gate must be cleared from trucks and other goods carriers, say residents.

The vehicles creating obstacles should be parked at Transport Nagar in Jahajgarh, which was established for this purpose about three decades ago. It is located next to the Akali Phoola Singh road.

About 300 shops and SCOs were allotted in Transport Nagar to transport companies so that transport related work may be carried out smoothly in the area. Many transporters purchased the shops and SCOs in the Transport Nagar but they continued their business simultaneously from the Ghee Mandi and Sheran Wala Gate also.

A retired principal, Kulwant Singh, said, it was okay if they wanted to run their offices alongside the road in the walled city, but the parking of trucks on the roads leading to Sri Harmandar Sahib is not justified. The entry of trucks and other goods carriers should be strictly banned on these roads. These commercial vehicles not only create problem for tourists but they also increase the air pollution level in this area, which is adjacent to Golden Temple, causing damage to thegold and marble of its heritage building.

When contacted, Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu said, “Before taking any step to shift transporters from these two roads to Jahajgarh, I will have to seek legal opinion.” He added that the civic body would convince transporters not to park heavy commercial vehicles on the road.