Panjab University goes 'car-free' today; residents jittery

Chandigarh, September 21

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Ahead of the “car-free day” at Panjab University (PU), residents are concerned as they have been suggested not to travel in four-wheelers inside the campus.

“The security staff stopped every car entering university and apprised its occupants to not come on their vehicle on the campus on Friday. There are many residents who go to office outside university in the morning. Sometimes their relatives visit them at their residence in the university. They cannot be stopped from coming to their relatives’ house,” said a university resident.

However, the university’s chief security officer claimed that there’s no restriction on cars going out of the campus. “We are not stopping people from going to offices. There’s no restriction on cars going out of campus. We are trying to get a good response from everyone. The security is not stopping emergency vehicles or people having genuine concerns to travel by car. Even if we achieve a 60 to 70 per cent acceptance for this proposal, it will be a successful run,” said Vikram Singh, the chief security officer.

Sources claimed that residents were asked to park their vehicles at the university entrance and use public mode of transport to commute on campus on Friday.

In a step forward to check rising traffic inside campus, the authorities decided to observe a “car-free-day” on last Friday of every month, starting from September 22.

A seven-member peer team of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which visited the PU last month, recommended that the university should take steps to reduce the vehicular movement on the campus.

Huge rush could be witnessed at all entrance gates on Friday. “The initial days would definitely be problematic for all. However, one has to contribute for a noble cause. The authorities have decided not to stop anyone having an emergency or genuine reason to travel by a car. There is no ban on two-wheelers entering the PU,” said a university official. On Thursday, long queues of cars were witnessed at the entrance gates as the university security personnel were asked to stop each vehicle to inform occupants about the “car-free-day” on Friday.