Outstation commuters passing through Malerkotla add to city’s congestion woes

Commuters from Ludhiana, Patiala, Khanna, Sangrur and Raikot face a hard time travelling between these cities as the shortest route passes through the congested lanes of Malerkotla.

Upset over the worsening traffic situation due to outstation vehicles travelling through the city, residents have urged the administration to take remedial action without further delay. In the meanwhile, they are demanding diversion of heavy traffic to some alternative route or restricting outstation traffic during peak hours.

Observations by The Tribune revealed that the number of vehicles passing through the city, besides the local traffic, had increased manifold during the past decades as it offered the shortest route between Ludhiana, Patiala, Sangrur, Khanna and Raikot.

Drivers of heavy vehicles carrying goods have also started adopting this route due to fewer toll plazas and barriers.

The issue is compounded in the morning and afternoon when hundreds of school buses, both from local schools and those visiting the city from nearby cities, ply the thoroughfares and connecting roads.

Residents alleged that the apathetic attitude of successive governments towards streamlining the flow of traffic here had resulted in residents hesitating from visiting local markets, affecting the city’s economy adversely.

Justifying the demand raised by the residents, senior functionaries in the administration said proactive measures had already been taken by organising workshops and seminars for managers and drivers of vehicles deployed by educational institutes and truck unions.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Sukhpreet Singh Sidhu acknowledged that a plan for construction of bypass connecting Khanna Road, Patiala Road and Sangrur Road, had already been prepared.

“We have already prepared a plan for construction of a bypass along a drain that passes through localities along roads connecting Khanna, Patiala and Sangrur,” Sidhu said, maintaining that once constructed the bypass will ease the situation significantly.

Perusal of records revealed that the draft project report for construction of a 4.22-km-long bypass at an estimated cost of Rs 4.99 crore had been sent by officials in the Public Works Department to the Drainage Department for necessary approval, including the No Objection Certificate.