Indore Traffic Management Under High Court Scrutiny As Petitioners Flag 64 Unlinked Signals And Parking Shortage

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday verbally expressed its displeasure over the measures taken so far to tackle the traffic menace in the city.

As the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) informed the division bench comprising Justice Subodh Abhyankar and Justice Jai Kumar Pillai that residents can now upload photographs of damaged roads through its 311 app, the HC observed that the concern was that complaint registration alone cannot solve the problem.

Information on complaints received, resolved and pending was sought to assess actual performance.

On Tuesday, the hearing was on poor coordination among traffic signals, staff shortages in the traffic police, inadequate parking facilities and unsafe roads affected by construction. The court questioned whether merely registering complaints was enough without timely corrective action.

The hearing took place following a bunch of public interest litigations (PILs) related to traffic management, road safety, signal operations and encroachment removal.

Senior advocates Ajay Bagadia and Shirin Silawat, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that Indore has 92 traffic signals, 58 under the Smart City project and 34 under the municipal corporation. However, only 28 are connected to the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS).

Lack of coordination forces motorists to stop repeatedly at intersections, contributing to congestion. The petitioner called for integrating all signals into a coordinated system.

Against 881 sanctioned posts, the traffic police has 660 personnel, leaving 221 vacancies. Senior advocate Bagadia suggested installing automated hydraulic barriers at around 40 major city entry points to regulate heavy vehicles.

The proposal could free up 140-170 personnel currently deployed at these locations for duty at busy intersections and congested roads until fresh recruitment takes place.

Vijay Nagar-Dewas Naka road also in focus

The poor condition of the Vijay Nagar Square-Dewas Naka stretch was highlighted. A substantial portion has been excavated and barricaded for a proposed flyover, while potholes, dust, loose stones and construction material create difficulties. The lack of proper alternative routes and service roads particularly endangers two-wheeler riders.

Parking shortage and accountability

Figures presented during the hearing showed that Indore has 26 identified parking sites, compared with 51 in Nagpur, 42 in Kanpur and 62 in Lucknow. The petitioner stressed the need for additional parking and action against unauthorised parking.

The court also examined compliance with earlier directions. Rajlaxmi Foundation proposed appointing additional advocate general Rahul Sethi as a single coordination and supervisory officer for traffic improvements and court-order compliance.

It suggested daily departmental progress reports detailing completed and pending work, obstacles and deadlines, to ensure accountability and visible improvements on the ground.