Nagpur News
Nagpur Grapples with Traffic Gridlock Due to Infrastructure Challenges
Nagpur, despite its wide roads connecting major market hubs and key areas, faces daily traffic gridlock due to mismanagement and ongoing infrastructure projects. The city experiences chaotic traffic conditions on various roads, including Variety Square to Liberty Square, Amravati Road, Ambazari Road, Munje Square to Mehadia Square, Jadhav Square in Ganeshpeth, Ashok Square on Great Nag Road, and Agrasen Square on Central Avenue. Behram Patel, a resident of Raj Nagar, highlighted the ongoing traffic chaos that plagues junctions and roads in Nagpur, leading to significant delays. He emphasized the critical staffing issue, as Nagpur operates with only 560 traffic cops instead of the sanctioned 890. Patel observed instances where officers gathered in groups at junctions, indicating a lack of efficient deployment and coordination.
Tejinder Singh Renu, secretary of the Vidarbha Taxpayers Association, highlighted the rise in encroachments by vendors, wrong-side driving by two-wheelers, signal jumping, and reckless driving by auto-rickshaw drivers. He stressed the urgent need for enhanced CCTV surveillance and a more effective e-challan system to address these issues effectively.Local media recently reported the closure of 43 routes due to ongoing infrastructure projects. Areas affected include LIC Square and the stretch from Indora to Ashok Square, where roads have been closed for concretization and other infrastructure works, resulting in severe traffic congestion in nearby areas.Abhishek Wankhede, a resident of Indora, highlighted the detrimental impact of poorly planned road construction and flyovers, along with structural issues like those seen in the Sadar flyover since 2020. Another concern is the presence of unrepaired roads in areas undergoing infrastructure work, such as Agrasen Square.
Behram Patel suggested that traffic cops fix non-working signals or manage traffic manually, specifically pointing out the bottlenecks on Residency Road. DCP (Traffic) Shashikant Satao attributed the traffic mess to diversions caused by ongoing construction across the city. He also identified e-rickshaws and roadside encroachments as significant reasons for congestion.“ We have detained 814 e-rickshaws in a special drive. Challan action was initiated against 1,627 autorickshaws,” he said. The court criticized the traffic police for closing a road without proper study and raised concerns over the necessity of a tunnel project.
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