Locals were seen caught in a grid lock as traffic in different parts of the metropolitan remained clogged during rush hours owing to various construction projects underway in the city. Commuters were powerless in the face of the onslaught of vehicles during the rush hours on Monday. Closing of Dharampura, The Mall and Jail Road underpasses on the same day clogged all the main arteries of the city. Ferozpur Road and Canal Bank Road were also closed. The Canal Bank Road, Mall Road, Jail Road, Ferozpur Road and Main Boulevard, Garden Town witnessed bumper to bumper traffic. According to the Traffic Helpline, the traffic mess stared after 4pm and was seen building up till 8 pm. Scuffle between traffic wardens and the helpless public were reported from different parts of the city.
“All the roads in the city are burdened with traffic and you have to sneak through it carefully,” a traffic warden on Traffic Police Helpline said when contacted to ask the traffic situation in the city. According to diversion plan for traffic on Canal coming from Dharmpura, vehicles were diverted from Mall Underpass to Zafar Ali Road and towards Club Chowk which caused traffic mess on adjacent roads of smaller capacity.
“It took me more than an hour to get to the Canal bank from Ferozpur road,” said Akif, a resident of New Garden Town. He said it was becoming a routine matter for him now since the traffic mess was worst when the Kalma Chowk flyover was being constructed and now because of the Canal Road Widening and Muslim Town flyover projects. “I don’t know what solution the government has for the increasing traffic, there are so many cars in the city,” he said.
Traffic Police officials said due to closure of Canal Road from Mall Road Underpass to Jail Road Underpass for purpose of carpeting the patch, the vehicles were diverted to side routes.
The problem aggravated when the traffic signals switched off in the evening owing to power outage. Traffic wardens appeared unable to manage the heavy flow of traffic causing long rows of vehicles on road for hours.
Moreover, many high rush areas witnessed low attendance of traffic wardens since they were deputed on the Canal and Muslim Town fly over construction sites.
