Crossing Sec 62 traffic lights nightmare in rush hour

Traffic congestion near the Sector 62 light point during the daytime has become a bane of commuters. Road users, ambulances, patients and attendants in private vehicles remain stuck here for eternity as a large number of vehicle refuse to budge in times of emergency.

Many a times traffic lights are not functional here, further compounding the problem. Residents complain that a traffic cop was a rare sight here. A resident said repair of a slip road in Sector 62 was hanging fire for several months.

“If the next traffic light is red for a bit longer, two queues of vehicles stretching for almost a km are formed. One can see ambulances and emergency vehicles stuck here many a times,” sad an elderly KN Bhargav, who had come to a private hospital nearby in Sector 62.

Serpentine queues of vehicles can be seen here during the morning and evening rush hours. Impatient drivers often turn unruly and wayward, leading to a chaotic situation in a matter of minutes.

It does not help that a shopping mall has recently come up in the vicinity here, multiplying the traffic woes for the road users. During morning and evening hours, the area, which has a number of government offices, is crammed with vehicles of employees.

Residents complain that idling vehicles, app-based taxis, autos and private vehicles congest the area. “During evenings on weekends, the crowd is unruly. It not only disturbs the free flow of the vehicles but also increases the risk of accidents,” they said.

“So many road accidents take place at the busy junctions in the heart of the city. Haphazard parking on roads in market areas and lax enforcement of traffic rules are also to blame for frequent road mishaps,” said Nidhi Tyagi, a Phase VIII resident who crosses this junction twice a day during rush hours.

“What does it take to ensure that traffic lights are functional during peak hours,” Darshan Singh Kalra, a Sector 71 resident, asks Mohali traffic police.

Traffic police officials said they try their best to keep the flow of vehicles unhindered near the hospital area. “Challaning drive is carried out on regular basis. A PCR is stationed round the clock in the area. People should also drive responsibly,” said DSP City2 Harsimran Singh Bal.