Amritsar, November 25
Residents of Majitha Road and commuters using the stretch are harassed because of the frequent and prolonged traffic snarls. Irked at the deteriorating traffic scenario, they have written about their ordeal to the civic authorities today.
Residents of Preet Avenue on Majitha Road, in a communique to the Municipal Commissioner and police department, urged them to take stock of the situation which was slipping out of control.
A resident of the avenue Dr Gursharan Singh Kainth said Majitha Road, from the bypass up to Sant Singh Sukha Singh (SSSS) Chowk, was totally mismanaged both by the administration and misused by the people as well. There is hardly any day when there is no traffic jam for hours. “Police personnel arrive at the scene when the situation goes out of control,” he said pointing out that this part of the road was full of potholes and required immediate re-carpeting after doing the proper groundwork. The irony is that both sides of the roads are overtaken by carts selling fruits and vegetables which worsens the situation even more.
Another resident Bhupinder Singh said religious places, a police station and continuous encroachments by shops and kiosks further compound the problem. They significantly narrow the width of motorable roads, causing great difficulty to commuters while driving. People shopping for fresh farm produce and daily groceries park their vehicles in front of these vends and shops to buy merchandise. It puts more pressure on those trying to use the squeezed roads.
Rishabh Malhotra who daily commutes on the road to drop his school-going children said the situation was extremely bothersome at the Guru Gobind Singh chowk, situated next to a popular school. It connects the bypass and Ram Nagar Colony. However, carts selling fresh vegetables and fruits have been parked on the roadside. Accentuating the problem, buyers also park their vehicles in parallel to buy products, thereby reducing the width of the motorable road for commuters. In the meantime, a large number of vehicles queue up honking in search of space to move ahead.
Similar scenes are visible when ambulances and heavy vehicles come out of the Government Medical College and Hospital. The road becomes narrow as shopkeepers have encroached upon both sides of the road. Many shop owners have put up display material on the roadside, causing traffic hazard.
Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu said he would direct the department concerned to take action so that motorable roads could be provided to the commuters.
