Flaws in Mohali traffic surveillance infrastructure to be fixed in 2 weeks

After several gaping flaws were found in the basic infrastructure of the city surveillance traffic management system, Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh and district administration today vowed to get these fixed in a time-bound manner. Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal has directed the municipal corporation to remove all shortcomings within a week, while Gmada has been asked to do their bit within two weeks.

Chairing a meeting with the Deputy Commissioner, SSP Deepak Pareek, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Parminder Pal Singh and officials of Gmada, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and PWD at the District Administrative Complex today, the MLA clarified that the surveillance system was not a money-minting exercise by the state government, but a facility for the people commuting on the city roads.

Commuters had questioned the massive challaning drive in which 15,000 persons had been challaned, even as the basic infrastructure such as stop lines and zebra crossings were either missing or had faded. The speed limit boards are also not readable, they added. The MLA after receiving complaints in this regard has instructed the municipal corporation and Gmada to immediately ensure that the traffic signs like zebra crossings and stop lines were repainted on the roads along with speed limits boards.

The Deputy Commissioner has instructed those concerned that all zebra crossings should have access for pedestrians from both ends and there should be no obstruction in shape of any central verge, pole or any other structure on any end of the crossings. “The MC and Gmada should get the stop lines and zebra crossings remarked so that these were clearly visible to people. Put up speed limit signboards on the pattern of Chandigarh so that the people can have clarity on the speed limits of light and heavy vehicles separately.”

According to the speed limit notification of the Punjab government, the maximum speed limit in the municipal corporations/municipalities has been fixed at 50 km per hour, for which the government will be requested to install signages in Mohali.

Pareek raised the issue of linking the control of increasing/decreasing the timing of traffic lights with the integrated command and control centre established at Sohana police station. “If the control of the traffic signals at these 17 light points is at the integrated command centre, then the traffic on these roads can be controlled in a better way,” he said.

The DC asked the MC Commissioner to consider the suggestion of giving the control of these traffic lights to the centre. In the meeting, it was also suggested to stop the arrival of heavy vehicles on some roads during peak hours of traffic in the city on pilot basis.