Public participation must to deal with traffic jams

Traffic congestion is an issue that cannot be resolved without the efforts of traffic police as well as the commuters. There are a slew of measures that can be adopted to streamline the traffic problem in city. People should cooperate and not park their vehicles on the places other than parking zones. There should be a proper laning system for both slow and fast moving vehicles. Construction of bridges and underpass in each and every chowk can go a long way in avoiding traffic congestion. In peak hours, traffic police must monitor the traffic manually and through traffic signals. In schools as well, after Class VIII, students must be taught about the traffic rules and signals. Teachers, parents must guide children to not use any vehicle before the age of 18 years. There should not be a single road for both incoming and outgoing traffic. People working in nearby areas should go for pooling. People blocking roads unnecessarily should be punished.  

Farzana Khan

Develop, refine existing traffic rules

Traffic congestion is one of the most vexing problems of the city. It has increased dramatically over the years. There is a need of a holistic approach to address the issue.  Further, it’s a matter of shame and pity that despite the technological advances, we are yet to come up with a definitive answer to the traffic congestion conundrum. Congestion cannot be narrowly tackled at the cost of a city’s quality of life. The concept of absorption of chronic traffic ailment entails measures such as strengthening of existing traffic laws, implementing effective traffic control on streets, rationalising distribution and deliveries of material during peak hours, optimising traffic-light management, use of CCTV to monitor road conditions. Besides, traffic planners can also prepare and model programmes to cope with specific scenarios. At last, both government and individuals should share responsibility to address the issue. 

Ravi Chander Garg 

Congestion-reduction measures need of the hour

Traffic congestion is an everyday affair in big cities which is a result of growing population and increase in the use of public and personal vehicles on the road. It not only increases the travel time but also poses inconvenience to the public. Worse is ambulance getting delayed to reach the accident site, which results in the loss of precious lives. There is a need to address the deteriorating problem of traffic. Methods such as car pooling and bike pooling can be the quick fix solutions. New plans and schemes should be made and implemented effectively to solve the traffic issue.

Khushboo Singla

Speed up projects to decongest city

Congestion due to vehicles has become a grueling problem for the residents. The authorities cannot be blamed for insufficient roads, rather the commuters need to be encouraged to rely on public transport. Each and every household, nowadays, owns multiple vehicles. The pressure of vehicles on the roads is too much. How can we expect such a fast growth of infrastructure in the city? The administration should strengthen the public transport. The parking rates in the city can be increased in order to discourage people from using their private vehicles. Sometime ago, a metro project was also under consideration which might have vanished away due to political rivalries. Such projects need an immediate revival to decongest the city. 

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi 

Follow guidelines of Motor Vehicles Act 1988

Ludhiana has been facing the problem of chaotic traffic for the past many decades. This has become a cause of fatal accidents which take precious lives and the loss cannot be compensated in any way. In order to cope up with this problem, traffic rules must be strictly adhered to. Traffic lights are lying defunct. Many a times, traffic police become lenient towards their duties. This attitude and behavior should not be accepted at any cost. There are 68,000 traffic challans which are still pending and this trend shows the inefficiency of our government which again encourages the culprits to break the rules. Proper management system should be exercised and the rule breakers should be strictly punshied according to the Motor Vehicles Act 1988. 

Ritu Priya

Multi-pronged strategy needed to regulate traffic 

Various policies have been framed and incorporated to regulate the vehicular flow in the city, but the problem still persists. The issue involves a multi-pronged strategy to such as a proper involvement, coordination and commitment. Government should re-carpet major link roads which are in bad conditions. Proper laning should be there for slow and fast moving vehicles. Government should put sign boards in bold letters to indicate meaning of various traffic signs. Sign boards of No Parking Zone should be placed at some reasonable height which must be visible to everybody. People should use public transport while going to their offices or work places. People should use pooling method to use their cars. Cars and other four-wheelers should be allowed to ply during non-peak hours. Heavy parking fee should be charged in peak time period to discourage to use four wheeler individually. Hefty fine should be imposed who will violate the traffic rules. In each chowk, an underpass should be constructed for the smooth flow of traffic. Traffic signals with display of time should be installed so that people may shut off engines of their vehicles. CCTV cameras should be installed at each chowk to monitor traffic and to catch traffic violators. People should park their vehicles only on those areas which are reserved for parking. The problem of traffic congestion will only be solved if people cooperate, involve and coordinate with traffic police and local government and should educate to others to follow traffic rules.

Dr Mohd Saleem Farooqui 

Shift hospitals, institutes to periphery areas

In the modern day world, the major issue that the cities face is traffic ridden roads. Heavy vehicular flow is a major cause of this long-standing problem. The government should motivate people to use public transport or vehicles. The universities and hospitals often located in the centre of the city should be moved to the outskirts so as to avoid traffic at peak hours. It is also mandatory to encourage people to obey traffic rules which will help to solve the problem of traffic. There should be proper arrangement for parking in the city. It can also prove to be the best effort for reducing traffic congestion. Also the use of CCTV at road allows Traffic Manager to see breakdowns, collisions and other causes of congestion. It’s a high time to aware people about the disadvantages of traffic congestion and also the solutions should be implemented properly. 

Kamaldeep Kaur

Tackle the perennial issue of encroachment

The main cause of traffic congestion can be attributed to the wrong policies of local government which approve the change of land use without going through its long-term consequences. A petrol pump near Arya College, change of land use on link road between Hambram/Ferozpur road, encroachment on roads are some of the reasons for the traffic bottlenecks. Further, non deployment of traffic police at proper places further aggravates the woes of the people. Traffic congestion cannot be controlled until encroachment is removed on roads with zero tolerance. Moreover, roads should be marked with zebra crossing to help the pedestrians. 

Krishan Lal Babbar

Practise good driving skills

Traffic congestion occurs when people do not obey traffic rules and think that controlling traffic is the responsibility of a few. If everyone understands the fact that the onus of traffic control is on everybody, then obeying rules will become much easier. By knowing the rules of the road, practicing good driving skills and generally taking care as a road user, one can help play a vital role in preventing a crash. 

Ekroop Kaur

Strengthen the laning system 

The traffic congestion is a problem, which varies from city to city. Congestion reduction measures can be thought of as falling into two categories: temporary and virtuous. It poses threat to lives of commuters. Roads should be widened and flyovers should be made connecting important traffic routes. Getting rid of big ring roads and highways will help reduce traffic. Any encroachment and parking on roadsides should be checked as it reduces the area available to the traffic. People should switch to public transport systems and the government should improve it by metros and better buses. The city can better modify traffic signal timing with the changes in traffic throughout the day. It can be solved if we cooperate with the traffic police. Proper laning for slow and fast moving vehicles, putting traffic sign boards and educating general public about various rules can help in diluting the issue. Patients in ambulances encounter critical moments during traffic congestions. If we want our traffic conditions to improve, start following rules no matter what the other person does..   

Shubhangi

OPEN HOUSE COMMENT 
Initiatives like car-pooling and cycle-ride days can ease vehicular burden on roads
Minna Zutshi

Ludhiana has got the highest per capita vehicles in India. More than 10,000 new vehicles are added every three months. Not surprisingly, the city roads are known to be notorious for traffic congestion. It seems to be a dismal scenario. A large number of vehicles do not always adhere to road safety rules, with an equally-large number of drivers openly flouting safe driving norms. There is no doubt that regulating the traffic on roads is a herculean task. Unfortunately, laxity in the punitive action against those flouting the road safety rules makes it all the more difficult to deal with the problem of traffic congestion. Though the district administration and the police can play a major role in making the traffic manageable in the city, the public participation, too, is imperative. Unless the public is aware of the magnitude of the problem, its reasons and its possible solutions, the chaotic traffic will continue to remain a major issue. Non-government organisations and institutions can play a significant role in combating the traffic problem. Initiatives like car-pooling and cycle-ride days can ease the vehicular burden on roads.    

QUESTION  

How can children be taught about civic issues in educational institutions?