Open House: What measures should be taken to mitigate snarl-ups outside schools in Sector 26, Chandigarh?

Schools should ban individual vehicles for children as they cause traffic congestion. Have a 15-minute gap between departures for each class to reduce the traffic. Schools charging hefty fees from parents should be able to arrange proper parking spaces for the parents too. Other schools that do not have the funds or the area for parking spaces may ban private vehicles all together. Traffic police need to be deputed to areas with schools to manage traffic during peak hours. CCTV cameras need to be set up outside schools to challan people who park their vehicles for a long time while waiting for their children.

Kirpal Singh, Chandigarh

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Snarl-ups pose risk for students

School-related traffic congestion poses a serious threat to the safety of the students coming out of school. The largest source of such congestion is parents, who come to pick up their children after school. Traffic congestion causes inconvenience to drivers, which may often lead to cases of road rage. Schools need to earmark areas around the school for the parents to park their cars, and they should also depute teachers, NCC officers, and other staff on a rotation basis to manage traffic during peak hours.

Capt Amar Jeet (retd), Kharar

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Separate timings for different classes

Traffic congestion outside schools is a common scene in the Tricity, and it causes inconvenience to the parents and the residents in the vicinity of these schools. Schools must divide the timing of the primary, middle and senior classes to reduce traffic congestion. Parents should choose the option of carpooling to reduce snarl-ups during peak hours. Lastly, schoolchildren that live near their schools do not need to be picked up in cars. They should commute to and from the school on foot or by bicycle.

Col TBS Bedi, Mohali

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Ferry Students in School buses

Parents picking up and dropping off schoolchildren at schools in Sector 26 leads to traffic snarl-ups. The schools should insist on ferrying children in school buses instead of private vehicles to reduce traffic congestion during peak hours. Having separate timings for separate age classes of students may also lead to a reduction in traffic.

Wg Cdr JS Minhas (Retd), Mohali

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Stagger timings, depute personnel

Parents and students have to be educated on the benefits of walking or cycling to school through leaflets or PTA newsletters. The health aspect and the impact on the environment should also be incorporated into the curriculum. Students and parents must be encouraged to avail of the school bus services, or they can resort to carpooling instead of sending their children in separate vehicles. The schools should stagger the start and finish times of elementary, middle, and high school students. School management should coordinate with the local traffic authorities to deploy personnel during rush hours to regulate traffic.

Brigadier Advitya Madan, Chd

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Carpooling should be compulsory

The best solution for traffic congestion outside schools in Sector 26 would be to make carpooling compulsory. There should be a separate pick-up and drop-off zone around schools so that parents do not have to resort to parking their vehicles on the roads while waiting for their children. This causes inconvenience to the residents as well.

Surinder Pal, New Chandigarh

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Schools Should Have Different Timings

As schoolbuses take longer routes, a lot of parents prefer to pick up and drop off their children at school. In order to reduce traffic congestion, the authorities may decide on different school opening and closing hours. Schools could have different timings for primary wing and higher classes to reduce traffic congestion. Toddles could be picked up by parents at an earlier time.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

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Implement staggered school timings

The UT Administration and police could implement staggered school start times, encouraging walking or cycling with safe pathways and promoting carpooling or designated drop-off zones to reduce individual vehicle numbers. Introducing traffic marshals or volunteers to manage flow during peak hours and investing in public transportation infrastructure could further alleviate congestion.

Gaganpreet Singh, Mohali

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Create designated drop-off zones

To ease congestion, the UT Administration and police could create a designated drop-off zone away from the school entrance, staffed by personnel, to ensure swift student disembarkation. Partnering with schools, they could incentivize carpooling with permit systems and preferential parking. Implementing staggered school timing would further distribute traffic flow. These measures, coupled with stricter enforcement of no-parking zones, would significantly improve the situation.

Amanjot Kaur, Mohali

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Subsidise travel by public transport for pupils

To ease congestion, a multi-pronged approach is needed. Firstly, designate drop-off zones away from school entrances, allowing quick pick-up and drop-off. Secondly, incentivize carpooling with preferential parking for carpools and subsidised public transport passes for students. Finally, explore staggered school timing to distribute traffic flow throughout the morning and afternoon.

Gurdev Singh, Mohali

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Carpooling should be encouraged

Consider a multi-pronged approach with implementing staggered school timings to distribute drop-off and pick-up rush. Encourage carpooling with designated zones and incentives for parents. Explore designated drop-off areas away from schools with a safe walking path for the last leg. Incentivize the use of public transport by offering free or discounted student passes during peak hours. This will reduce car dependence and ease congestion.

Gurpreet Kaur, Mohali

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Implement school streets programme

To alleviate traffic congestion outside Sector 26 schools, the UT Administration and police could implement a School Streets programme, restricting vehicular access during drop-off and pick-up times, thus promoting walking and cycling. Additionally, establishing designated pickup points and staggered dismissal times can streamline student movement. Utilising vacant plots for temporary parking zones may also reduce roadside chaos, ensuring a safer, more orderly environment for all.

Sahibpreet Singh, Mohali

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Deploy more traffic cops during peak hours

To tackle traffic congestion outside Sector 26 schools, the UT Administration and police have implemented measures such as one-way traffic systems, staggered school dismissal times, designated pickup and drop-off points, increased traffic police presence and promoting carpooling. These efforts aim to improve traffic flow, ensure safety and encourage community collaboration for a smoother school commute experience.

Prithvee Yakhmi, Chandigarh

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Challan people who park vehicles on road

A lot of people park their vehicles on the road in Sector 26 while they wait for their children to come out of school. However, this blocks the roads and causes inconvenience to the schoolchildren as well as the residents of the area. Traffic police need to be deputed near schools in Sector 26 to manage the flow of traffic. People who park their vehicles should have to bear heavy challans.

MR Bhateja, Naya Gaon

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Schools need to deploy security staff

During the morning and afternoon rush hours, the roads near schools in Sector 26 witness traffic snarl-ups. Traffic police need to be deployed in these areas, especially during rush hour, to ensure a smooth flow of traffic. Schools must deploy their own security staff too to ensure free-flowing traffic.

Vijay Shukla, Chandigarh

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Ban entry of vehicles to roads near schools

Parents can park their vehicles in a nearby market or on footpaths around parks when they come to pick up their children from school. The entry of vehicles on school roads should be banned. Parents should opt for schoolbus services without being oversensitive to their children and dropping them off personally.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

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Allot separate parking spaces for parents

The UT Administration should allot separate spaces around schools. This would ensure that parents who come to pick up and drop off their children are not forced to park their vehicles on the roads. This would ensure free movement of traffic on the roads, and the administration could also generate funds from the parking fees.

Dr Dinesh Verma, Panchkula

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Implement one-way routes in rush hour

Schools and the UT Administration could implement a one-way system and measures to improve traffic flow. Personnel should be deployed in these areas during rush hours to manage the flow of traffic. The authorities should aim to promote solutions such as carpooling, encouraging parents to make children use alternative means such as cycling, and collaborating with traffic police to implement one-way routes.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

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Designated parking area in Sector 26

Implement strict one-way traffic. The administration should explore a designated parking area in Sector 26 and deploy e-rickshaws in school areas. The Education Department should issue guidelines to schools in Sector 26 for changing their mornings and after for 5-10 minutes to allow smooth traffic disbursement.

Sunny Dhaliwal, Chandigarh

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Install CCTV cameras outside schools

Enforce one-way traffic during rush hours on roads around schools in Sector 26. Traffic police and school security guards should be deputed to ensure a smooth flow of traffic. CCTV cameras should be installed to challan people who park their cars on roads during rush hours.

Sharanjit Singh Kallah, Mohali

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Public needs to cooperate

A widening of roads leading to schools would not be possible and one cannot think of shifting the well-established institutions. Therefore, without the cooperation of the public, controlling traffic on school roads is not possible. Citizens should choose two-wheelers when they come to pick up and drop off their children. General commuters should choose different directions for their destination during rush hours.

Surinder Paul Wadhwa, Mohali

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School buses should be compulsory

When the so-called public, convent schools take hefty amounts of money from the parents, why is it so tough for them to make school transport mandatory for all the students to ease out the traffic congestion? Also, the Chandigarh Administration can ask these schools to adjust their opening and closing times a little here and there to avoid traffic snarl-ups. School authorities must sensitise the parents about carpooling.

Savita Kuthiala

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Traffic rules need to be followed

The traffic congestion outside schools in Sector 26 continues to be a problem for parents. The UT Administration should take the necessary steps immediately to solve this issue. There should be a separate area for parking vehicles to control such traffic congestion. The traffic rules should be strictly followed.

Adish Sood, Amloh

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Effective Enforcement of Traffic Rules

The UT Administration should encourage parents and students to use bicycles, walk, or carpool. Designated drop-off and pick-up zones within school premises can streamline traffic movement on surrounding roads. The management body must install traffic signals, speed bumps, or designated crossing points to regulate the flow of vehicles and pedestrians. The police must increase their pressure in the area during peak hours to monitor traffic violations and penalties for illegal parking can prevent obstruction.

Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar

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Effective traffic management needed

The traffic police have to be more vigilant during the peak hours in and around the schools. The traffic snarl-ups near the schools cause a lot of disturbance to the schoolchildren as well. Autorickshaw dropping children off at the schools are also causing problems, and this issue can be resolved if more school buses can be used. Proper traffic management can only solve the traffic congestion near the schools.

Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

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Parents need to cooperate

People should be smarter and they need to stop picking up and dropping off their children at school in private vehicles. All the schools in the area need to make schoolbuses compulsory. Traffic police should be deployed in the area to manage traffic during peak hours. There should be a staggered schedule for the primary wing and the senior students to avoid traffic congestion.

SS Arora, Mohali

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School Admn should manage traffic

Congestion and traffic are quite common during peak work hours and school times. The solution is that the traffic should be managed by the school administration. The schools need to earmark separate areas for parents to park their vehicles. Students could be released from school based on where they live or sector-wise to avoid traffic congestion.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

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Lack of parking causes snarl-ups

This lack of parking creates a constant source of frustration, particularly for parents. Implementing a system where schools and institutions have slightly varied start and end times (by 5-10 minutes) can help distribute traffic flow and reduce peak hour congestion. Also, continuing the practice of making the road one-way during peak hours has proven effective and should be maintained.

Karishma Sharma

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Adhere to traffic rules

Buses and auto drivers should follow traffic rules, not show an appalling disregard for any kind of traffic law, and take a stop on every side and corner to cause havoc for commuters. Mapping out safe pedestrian routes may help children walk or cycle to school safely.

Charu Malhotra, Mohali

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Room for improvement

It is equally important to appreciate that the authorities and the school management authorities have both been well coordinating and managing the traffic in the past few days. However, further steps can be taken. Alternative spaces for parking can be chalked out near schools, in government institutes, and in empty spaces. This will reduce the volume of vehicles parked on the road.

Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh

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Restrict schools in residential areas

The number of schools in residential areas needs to be restricted, and the schools that are already established in such areas need to have staggered school schedules. One-way traffic and traffic police are needed during peak hours. Drivers talking on mobile phones, overspeeding, and being drunk while on duty need to be checked. CCTV cameras are needed outside of schools.

SK Khosla, Chandigarh

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QUESTION FOR NEXT WEEK

The PGI Director issued a circular outlining several directives to address the substantial influx of patients and reduce waiting time at the OPDs. In your view, what actions should the PGI take to effectively address this issue?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to [email protected]