No end to traffic chaos in Palampur

Ravinder Sood

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Palampur, December 7

Regular traffic jams are witnessed on most of the roads in the city and its satellite areas, particularly during morning and evening hours. At least 10 police constables are posted in the the city to manage traffic, but during peak hours none of them is seen.

The narrow Mandi-Pathankot national highway passing through the city has become a major traffic hazard. The Holta bypass is fully operational but the district administration is yet to divert heavy traffic. Over 500 new vehicles are registered every month with the local motor vehicle registration authority but no efforts have been made to widen existing roads. During peak hours, there is regular traffic jams on the Gurdwara goad, Ghuggar, Plaza Market, Ram Chowk and the Santoshi Mata Mandir Chowk.

The population of the city and its suburbs has gone up. Many new housing colonies have come up in and outside the city but the government has not initiated development plans.

It has become difficult for residents to park their vehicles. Locals as well as tourists complain that the police harass them and challan and impound their vehicles for wrong parking while the administration has not specified “no-parking zones”.