Chandigarh has long boasted about its well-planned infrastructure. However, in the wake of growing vehicular congestion on the roads, certain fundamental changes are being brought in the face of the city beautiful. Last month the Chandigarh administration replaced rotaries at sector 33 and 34 and sector 32 and 33 with traffic lights, and now roundabout of sector 43 and 44 is being removed.
The work for removing the roundabout has already begun and traffic lights would be installed. “During the peak hours, the roundabout faces heavy rush, leading to traffic chaos. This has been done to facilitate the commuters, who remain stuck in jams at present.”, said a senior official of the engineering department elaborating the rationale behind the move.
The vehicular population in Chandigarh has literally doubled in last 10 years from 6 lakh to more than 60 lakh in the UT. Incidentally, the city also boasts of the highest per capita density of vehicles in the country. With these statistics in mind, we can easily assess the pressure on our infrastructure and ecosystem the vehicles are posing. Removing roundabouts in the city can mitigate the chaos at some level, but it definitely cannot be a blanket solution to the clogged roads in the city.
Earlier this November, the Chandigarh administration had announced its decision to introduce Intelligent Traffic light Management System providing synchronised traffic lights that keeps the traffic moving across the city. This innovative solution surely deserves an applause from all of us.
If our readers want to share their suggestions that help in nipping this problem in the bud, resolving traffic congestion and still keeping the distinctive identity of the City Beautiful intact, they are welcome to leave a comment below.
Image Credits: Google Images
Coverage: The Indian Express