Bharat Nagar Chowk synonymous with chaos

Charanjit Singh Teja

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 17

Bharat Nagar Chowk here truly depicts traffic congestion in the city. As the chowk connects all main roads that lead to Southern Punjab (Moga, Ferozepur Sangrur and Bathinda) and Northern Punjab (Jalandhar, Amritsar, Gurdaspur) traffic chaos has become a permanent feature here.

Considering the traffic situation at the chowk, the traffic police has deployed one Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), two head constables and three constables from 8 am to 9 pm at the chowk. The signal time at the chowk is 135 seconds, which is maximum in the city. Despite all these arrangements, commuters have to wait from five to 10 minutes to cross the chowk. There are several reasons behind traffic chaos at Bharat Nagar Chowk.

Located in busy area

Bharat Nagar Chowk is located close to the Interstate Bus Terminal, Mini-Secretariat, Government College for Girls and railway station. The Ferozepur Road, which leads to Jagraon Moga, Faridkot, Sangrur, Bathinda and Rajasthan, starts from the chowk.

A large number of commuters daily visit bus stand, railway station, Deputy Commissioner Office, Police Commissioner Office and educational institutes located on Ferozepur Road. Apart from this, all prominent government office are located near the chowk. Long queues of vehicles can be seen at the chowk throughout the day.

Demonstrations

Employees and political parties often choose the chowk to register their anger against the government. The demonstrators often assemble at Bharat Nagar Chowk to march towards the Mini-Secretariat or Police Commissioners’ Office. During election time, demonstrations witness an increases. Protesters block the chowk to press the government for their demands. The are traffic jams due to such demonstrations at he chowk. Deputy Commissioner Rajat Agarwal has been trying to reserve land for demonstrations on Chandigarh Road. But demonstrators consider it their right to protest at the chowk. The Inclusive Education Volunteer blocked traffic at the chowk on January 14.    

No check on traffic violators 

Not only poor infrastructure and a large number of vehicles are responsible for traffic congestion at Bharat Nagar Chowk, impatient commuters also led to traffic jams. Vehicles can be seen parked on the zebra crossing while pedestrians cross roads at the chowk anywhere they wish. Cyclists and rickshaw-pullers flout the traffic rules with impunity.   

Police blame auto drivers

The in-charge of Traffic Police, ASI Kulwinder Singh, said: “Auto-rickshaws are a major headache for the traffic personnel manning the chowk. We have to run behind auto-rickshaw drivers to prevent traffic jams. Bus drivers also violate the rules. We started educating commuters to follow the traffic rules, but in vain. The government has to control the number of vehicles otherwise there is no solution to the problem of traffic congestion.”

Suggestions

The traffic police suggest that the administration has to make a separate bus stoppage for buses on Ferozepur Road.  They suggest the parking area between the Ferozepur Road and service lane can be used as a bus stoppage. Commuters say flyovers are the only solution to traffic congestion at Bharat Nagar Chowk.