Jams near railway station norm

Chandigarh, April 12

Snarl-ups outside railway station here have become a daily nuisance, particularly during the peak hours when the New Delhi-Kalka Shatabdi arrives and departs.

The primary cause of this traffic chaos is rampant wrong and illegal parking by both private and commercial vehicles, particularly by cab drivers who avoid paying Rs 30 entry fee.

Cab drivers park their vehicles on the roadside for long periods with impunity, which leads to traffic disruption.

According to Mandeep Singh, a cab driver, most drivers refuse to enter the pick-up and drop-off corridor unless passengers pay an extra Rs 30 for the trip.

Earlier, visitors coming in their private vehicles also used to park on the roadside near the entry and exit to avoid hefty charges levied for missing six-minute free window. After conducting a survey, the railway authorities increased the free window time for visitors to 10 minutes. However, many visitors still avoid driving through the corridor, leading to further congestion.

At present, commercial vehicles are charged Rs 30 for up to six minutes. After six minutes, Rs 50 is charged for up to 15 minutes and Rs 200 thereafter.

Several visitors have expressed resentment at daily traffic chaos caused by wrong parking outside the station.

Nutan, a visitor, said there had been instances where two cars were parked next to each other on the same side of the road, leaving little space for traffic to move.

Continued disregard for traffic rules and regulations by cab drivers and visitors is a cause for concern. Public is inconvenienced for no fault of theirs. The need of the hour is the authorities take immediate steps, including deploying more police personnel to regulate traffic and imposing penalties on violators.

“It needs a coordinated effort from all stakeholders to alleviate the problem and ensure a smooth flow of traffic, particularly during the peak hours,” said Manpreet Singh.

The area SHO, Inspector Ram Rattan, said the police beat staff had been directed to regulate traffic during the rush hours and challan vehicles for wrong parking. “We also inform the traffic police regarding the same,” said the SHO.

Commuters at receiving end

Nutan, a visitor, said there had been instances where two cars were parked on the same side of the road, leaving little space for traffic to move.

‘Cops told to regulate traffic’

The area SHO, Inspector Ram Rattan, said the police beat staff had been directed to regulate traffic during the rush hours and challan vehicles for wrong parking.

Charges for commercial vehicles

At present, commercial vehicles driving through the corridor are charged Rs 30 for up to six minutes. After six minutes, Rs 50 is charged for up to 15 minutes and Rs 200 thereafter.