Plan to make Phullanwal Chowk a safe zone or a risky spot?

Harshraj Singh

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 4

A plan to make Phullanwal Chowk on Pakhowal Road a safe zone is still incomplete as risk of road mishaps remains high here in the absence of traffic lights. The lights have not been reinstalled despite alignment of road having been completed in December last year.

The traffic lights at the chowk were removed for correction of alignment of Lodhi Club Road (connecting Ferozepur Road and Pakhowal Road) and Link Road (a road that leads to Dhandra Road from Pakhowal Road) as drivers were getting confused due to ‘improper design’.

After three persons, including two girls, were killed in road mishaps here in 2015, a joint team of the traffic police, Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT), Municipal Corporation, PWD and road safety activists visited the place and prepared a plan to make the chowk a safe zone.

Officials of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) claimed to have completed alignment work under their jurisdiction by December 2016. After installation of sewerage system, a stretch of Pakhowal Road outside the MC jurisdiction was also constructed earlier this year.

Now, GLADA has to reinstall the traffic lights. Besides, a divider on a stretch under the MC jurisdiction has not been constructed.

A member of the state road safety council, Rahul Verma, said: “Traffic lights should be installed at the earliest to prevent mishaps. Besides, the MC is yet to construct a divider on a stretch under its jurisdiction on Pakhowal Road. No steps have been taken to construct a small roundabout at Phullanwal Chowk to ensure a smooth flow of traffic as per the plan.”

Meanwhile, residents said mishaps were also taking place on intersections on Link Road as there is no check on speeding. A man was reportedly injured in a mishap on Link Road last week. A commuter at Phullanwal Chowk, Inderjit Singh, said: “It is very difficult to cross the road in the absence of traffic lights. The authorities concerned should install traffic lights at the earliest. Several mishaps have taken place at Phullanwal Chowk and nearby intersections on Link Road. The traffic police should keep a check on speeding.”