Manmeet Gill
Amritsar, December 11
The roads near Gurudwara Shaheeda Sahib, a prominent historical and religious site, witness frequent traffic jams forcing people to remain stranded in their vehicles for a long duration. The residents stated that a large number of pilgrims visit the place daily and the traffic congestion causes inconvenience to them. The residents complained that sometimes it takes almost half an hour to cover the distance between the bus stand and Shaheeda Sahib Gurdwara even on a two-wheeler.
They alleged that encroachments, traffic mismanagement along with slow moving development projects lead to the problem of traffic congestion in the area. A resident Satnam Singh said, “As one comes from Shaheeda Sahib Gurdwara to D Division police station, the side of which is dug up for public project, large boulders placed in the middle of the road and dirt heaps piled on the road leave a narrow road for the flow of traffic.” He added that an old car which perhaps was damaged in an accident can be seen parked on the road for the last many months.
A large number of devotees visit the historic gurdwara daily, which is associated with the martyrdom of Baba Deep Singh. Even the buses leaving for nearby places pass through this road to reach their destinations.
The residents complained that traffic jams are also witnessed outside the holy shrine and local residents park their two-wheelers for a few minutes to pay obeisance at the holy place. The residents stated that there is a need to streamline traffic in the area and the traffic police can be of help in teaching the basic rules and etiquettes to the drivers. “Whenever a traffic policeman stops a vehicle, his main agenda is to check the documents. Instead, the focus should be on penalising those who violate traffic rules,” said another resident Jagmeet Singh, adding that even to this day most people manage to get their driving licence without undergoing the mandatory training and test.
