Traffic management shambolic in Guwahati city

VIP Road-Panjabari Road junction remains without policemen

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The traffic managers in Guwahati are yet to master the ITMS (Integrated Traffic Management System) that has been inaugurated in the metropolitan city. It is glaringly visible that several ITMS points in Guwahati are not operational. When operated, such ITMS points create more traffic snarls than streamlining them.

The ITMS point at Dispur Last Gate clock tower is not operational. It is the junction where vehicles, including city buses, meet from different sides. The GS Road-bound vehicles from the Rajdhani Masjid side go straight to the flyover. GS Road-bound vehicles from the Basistha side have to turn right at this point to go to the flyover. Likewise, Rajdhani Masjid-bound vehicles from the Basistha side have to turn left at this junction. The Basistha-bound vehicles from the Dispur side have to turn left at this junction. The turning of all these vehicles creates unprecedented traffic snarls at this junction. There was no such traffic snarl at this junction before erecting the ITMS point.

The authority had to close the ITMS point there when the circles concerned raised the issue.

Likewise, the ITMS point at the Six Mile-Panjabari-Jayanagar junction is not operational. The very purpose of the ITMS point there fails as four to five traffic personnel remain engaged there to streamline the rush of traffic manually. The lack of any ITMS point at the point where the VIP Road meets the road leading to the Panjabari side keeps the junction mostly lined up with honking cars from nose to tail. The situation has worsened as this junction remains without any traffic police personnel on duty. Since there is no ITMS point at this junction, traffic snarls continue there even when the ITMS point at the Six Mile-Panjabari-Jayanagar junction becomes operational.

The situation at the Ulubari Junction is no different. The B Borooah Road crisscrosses the GS Road at this junction and goes towards the Assam Police Headquarters. The problem at this junction is of mismatch of timing of the signal lights. A senior police official said that the traffic branch of the State police force is conducting a survey to find out the defects of the ITMS. According to him, things will come in order after the survey report becomes public. PWD is also involved in the survey.

Traffic snarls are a regular affair at the Rukminigaon traffic point after the dismantling of the traffic point at Downtown due to the flyover.

These are a few of several traffic points where traffic management in Guwahati has gone haywire.

Also Read:   Guwahati Police Issues Traffic Restrictions in the City for Chhath Puja

 Also watch: