Wrong parking in Zirakpur spells chaos on roads

Satinder Pal Singh
Zirakpur, December 9

Though the traffic police claim to have launched a crackdown on illegal parking on roadsides by issuing challans to violators, the move does not seem to have worked as a deterrent for offenders as traffic congestion in inner areas as well on the Zirakpur stretch is still a common sight.

Illegal parking outside shops, other commercial establishments and on the roadside along the service lane is becoming a nightmare for commuters. While haphazard parking is seen in the town as well as in key locations in the suburbs, parking of vehicles along the Zirakpur-Chandigarh stretch points towards gross violation of parking rules. In the absence of any checks, city residents have developed a tendency to park their vehicles on the roadside.

As a result, those visiting markets and other commercial establishments located along the Zirakpur-Chandigarh stretch near Lohgarh are often seen grappling for space to park their vehicles.

Most of the vehicles are parked along the roads, thereby reducing the operational area of the road considerably. This causes traffic congestion, time loss and inconvenience not only to the commuters but to pedestrians as well.

Besides, the VIP Road area witnesses a huge rush as hundreds of people from across the town visit it for shopping. Though some markets have parking spaces, these are not enough to cope with the rush. As a result, visitors park their vehicles on roadsides.

The roadside parking causes frequent traffic jams in the area. It constricts the passage for vehicular flow as a result of which the road remains chock-a-block.

In the absence of checks, heavy vehicles are parked along the Zirakpur-Chandigarh stretch and on VIP Road. The fear of being challaned seems to be slowly diminishing among residents, who have started violating traffic rules with impunity.

Traffic in-charge Rajinder Singh said the tarrif police had already issued challans to traffic violators in the town and would continue to do so.

Time police took a stern view

If you are travelling along the Chandigarh-Ambala stretch in Zirakpur, a hub of housing societies and commercial establishments, you can easily spot a number of two-wheelers and four-wheelers parked illegally on the roadside, at times blocking the pathway. The tall claims made by the traffic police about having tightened the noose around offenders have fallen flat with motorists violating the rules with impunity, eating up road space.

Not caring two hoots for the rules, owners park their vehicles on the roadside with the police becoming a mute spectator. In the absence of any check, people park on the roadside at will, inconve-niencing others. Traffic jams are a common sight on VIP Road, near the MC office, bus stand close to the Singhpura intersection and near the traffic lights towards Patiala.

It is high time the traffic police swung into action to instil parking discipline among motorists. Repeated violators should be dealt with strictly. — Prabhat Katiyar