Autos cock a snook at rules, spell traffic chaos

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 13

Haphazardly parked autos near the bus stand in Sector 43 and 17 lead to congestion on roads, disrupting traffic and inconveniencing visitors.

The practice by drivers of parking their autos on the roadside near the ISBT in Sector 17 and Sector 43 is common. The haphazard parking leaves visitors and even bus drivers at the receiving end.

While the traffic police claim they take stern action against such drivers, autos can still be seen parked near the entrance to the ISBT in Sector 17 and Sector 43.

Autos are parked right outside the entry gate of the ISBT, Sector 43, blocking the way of buses and leading to traffic snarls.

Vishal, a resident of Sector 15, who is a regular visitor to the ISBT, Sector 43, said autos and even cabs were stopped near the gate from where buses enter, which lead to congestion on the road. “Several two-wheeler riders have met with accidents at the spot due to wrongly parked autos,” he added.

The situation gets particularly bad when people stop at the roadside tea stalls outside the ISBT and park their vehicles on the road.

The situation outside the Sector 17 bus stand is no different as autos can be seen parked on the main road. Although tow-away vans frequently patrol the bus stand area, these appear to havefailed to act as a deterrent for the auto drivers.

The Chandigarh Traffic Police recently initiated a special drive against violations by autos in Chandigarh. The police said auto drivers were challaned for stopping autos on the roadside.

It’s chock-a-block at the city railway station

Surendra Arora, a Delhi-based businessman, arrived at the Chandigarh railway station by the Shatabdi around 11 am on Thursday for an urgent meeting with a client in the Industrial Area. The meeting was scheduled in little less than half an hour, but little did he know that it would take more than 10 minutes to get out of the station. Like him, several passengers had hired cabs and outside the station it was chock-a-block with taxis and auto-rickshaws. It took Arora a lot of time to come out of the station due to poor management of traffic.

There seems to be no regulation for taxis and auto-rickshaws to pick and drop passengers at the station, leading to unending blockades.

Balbir Singh, Chief General Manager, Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC), said in order to streamline traffic at the railway station in the city, they would soon introduce the access control system. Under the system, the first nine minutes would be free, while charges would be applicable on vehicles staying longer, he said.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.