Bhopal: Bhopal Traffic Police issued an order on Sunday to convert road from Bhopal Takeez to Peer Gate as one-way road to reduce the traffic congestion in the area. This road from Bhopal Takeez to Peergate is one-way in traffic police records from 1992. Now, the traffic police have woken up to enforce it properly.
However, this order will be executed on trial basis and will be implemented for few days. If it succeeds, it will be executed for longer time. There are other 22 one-way roads in old Bhopal city but people don’t follow the rules. On several occasions, one can see traffic movement from both the sides.
The area from Bhopal Takeez to Peer Gate is part of old Bhopal and witnesses a heavy movement of vehicular traffic, people and goods. Also, this road is one of the main roads of the area.
The residents who live along this road have complained about narrow roads, lack of basic infrastructure to administration several times. But administration has not paid heed so far. People say that the conversion of the road into one-ways increases the distance, time and fuel consumption.
Old Bhopal resident Sumaiya Khan told Free Press that there are no police officials on the road squares, market places to take care of the problem and take suitable actions. The roads in the area are narrow and vehicles parked outside the shops further aggravate the problem. “One-way road is no solution to traffic jam and other related problems,” she remarked.
Mohammad Irfan residing in Chowk area of old Bhopal city said, “People do not follow rules. One-way roads don’t work. Instead of building new infrastructure in this part of city, administration is trying to give relief through short cuts. The existing one-way roads have not provided relief to people. How will this new experiment help?”
Additional superintendent of police (traffic) Mahendra Jain told Free Press that the only way to reduce the problem of traffic in the area is by properly enforcing one-way vehicular movement. “We have received a number of complaints about illegal parkings and other things on one-way roads. We are taking steps to address them,” he said.
