Illegal entry of heavy vehicles continues unabated in Sahnewal
Residents, commuters and shopkeepers allege no action has been taken despite repeated complaints
Sahnewal town continues to grapple with severe traffic congestions caused by unchecked entry of heavy vehicles, commuters allege, adding that the ban on entry timing is “only on paper”.
They say the situation leads to significant waste of time and property, and often lives, because of the accidents caused by these vehicles.
Residents, commuters and shopkeepers allege no action has been taken despite repeated complaints.
Locals say the board highlighting the entry timings was “pushed aside” a long time ago.
The traffic police personnel deployed at Sahnewal Chowk admit that even one wrong entry is enough to bring the traffic to a halt.
Locals allege the traffic police personnel focus on clearing the congestions instead of stopping the heavy vehicles from entering in the first place. They also claim the personnel are missing during peak traffic.
Major Singh, kar sewa chief at gurdwara Reru Sahib, said the repercussions of the unchecked entry of heavy vehicles are borne by other vehicles.
“Trailers, trucks and other heavy vehicles enter the town at their own and seldom reduce their speed. As a result, precious lives have been lost in the past,” he added.
Gurdev Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP traffic), said he “understands the gravity of the situation”.
“The issue requires collaborative efforts of the police and the civic body. The council has to provide alternative passage for heavy vehicles and the traffic police have to ensure compliance. I tried to get in touch with the council several times. Soon, we will fix a meeting and address the issue. As far as the absence of traffic personnel is concerned, I will look into it and take action against erring officers, if any.”
Manjinder Singh Bhola, a resident, said, “One can see trailers and trucks on every main road here. The heavy vehicles have made us helpless and there is no peace left.”
Another daily commuter rued, “We can’t fix a target time to reach our destination. Sometimes, a five-minute journey is converted into hours because of the congestion. It is a pity that neither the local MLA, nor the council or the traffic police are working to end this mess.”
