Traffic jams on city roads, a daily affair

- A woman teacher says that there are incidents of auto drivers ramming into the pedestrians with rash driving
- Traffic signals were installed at intersections to bring the traffic under control: ­DSP A Rama Chandraiah

Kurnool: Safety of pedestrians is at stake with lakhs of vehicles are plying on roads in the city. It is estimated that 5 lakh vehicles (transport and non transport) are running in the district in which autos are 30,000; 1,055 school buses; 3.8 lakh two wheelers; 22,000 cars and other transport and non transport vehicles adding up to 85,000.

Nearly 45 per cent of vehicles are on roads ever day in the city according to the Deputy Transport Commissioner. With an average of 3,000 new vehicles rolling out on the heavily jammed city’s roads every month and controlling the ever increasing traffic has become difficult for police.

As many as 40,000 people from various parts of Kurnool and neighbouring districts like Kadapa, Anantapur and Mahabubnagar are visiting the city on various business and official works. The vehicle drivers have been facing several problems due to narrow and congested roads. Vehicles riders are complaining that travelling two kilometre journey in 40 to 50 feet main roads taking more time. The autos and hawkers are also making the journey a difficult task by blocking the roads. The roads were not widened for smooth flow of traffic since so many years. Due to political pressure, the municipal officials are not taking expansion of roads. No adequate parking lots have been provided at shopping complexes, supermarkets, showrooms, marriage and function halls and hospitals. As a result, the customers, who visit these places, have to park their vehicles on the roads, blocking the pedestrian movement besides causing traffic jams. The traffic woes compounds during peak hours.

A woman teacher said that she is facing difficulty to cross the roads at new bus stand area even though the traffic police regulate vehicles. “There are incidents of auto drivers ramming into the pedestrians with their rash driving,” she recalled. She urged the traffic police to initiate strict action to avoid the traffic jams. DSP (Traffic) A Rama Chandraiah speaking to The Hans India said traffic signals were installed at intersections to bring the traffic under control. He said the signal lighting system have been arranged at Rajvihar, NTR Circle, Park Road and Shadikhana Circle. Traffic jams are being observed at new RTC bus stand as agricultural market yard and shopping complexes were located there, he said.

The DSP stated proposals have been sent to the government for the shifting of market yard to the outskirts of the city. Besides market yard, traffic jams are also seen at Abdullah Khan Estate and Alankar Plaza. The same problems are being faced at Old town area which is the centre for wholesale business to entire the district, he added. The official said that they have taken many initiatives and controlled the traffic jams at the busy junctions and also regulated the traffic by removing the encroachments at some places in the city.

“Politically-influential vendors, insufficient police staff and lack of awareness among the public has become an uphill task for us to clear the encroachments. He said traffic on city roads can be eased if flyovers constructed. It is really a herculean task to the Police department to control the traffic jams with only 50 policemen when city population is more than 12 lakhs. The government has to take up the widening of roads to avoid the traffic woes. Signaling system should be followed at every junction besides installation of CCTV cameras to track the accused in accident cases.

Narendra Kumar