Two days ago, the district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar had written a letter to the Noida Authority about the city’s worsening traffic situation. Consequently the officials of the Authority have stated that illegal parking of autos, e-rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, cabs and other vehicles will not be allowed on the roads and public spaces of the city. Anyone violating this order shall be liable for penalty.
Noida Authority and the traffic police are now collaborating to remove encroachments from the roads. “The first phases of this joint initiative will cover the thoroughfare routes,” an official informed. At the time of filling this report, about 60 food vans have already been seized and over 200 shops have been removed (these shops were encroaching the roads).
The letter addressed a few other civic grouses. It reiterated that the authorities should ensure the success of the upcoming multilevel parking facility. “We are educating the people about the nuances and rules of multi-level parking. Moreover, the charges have been kept lower than the ground parking. Therefore hopefully multi-level parking in Noida shall be a success,” Sandeep Chandra, senior project engineer of Noida Authority stated.
Speaking to City Spidey, an official informed, “Our aim is to free the busy traffic intersections from illegal parking and encroachments. Some such traffic intersections are the Model Town intersection at Sector 37, the Gol Chakkar intersection, the City Centre intersection and the Botanical Garden metro station intersection.”
The traffic chaos in Noida can be attributed to the lack of traffic personnel as well. There are only 162 traffic cops and 50 traffic marshals to man 403 traffic signals.
According to the traffic department, there are more than 5,000 auto rickshaws (three seaters), 1,000 shared autos (eight seaters), 5,000 cycle e-rickshaws and over 1,500 unauthorized e-rickshaw plying on the roads.
Layak Singh, Traffic Inspector told City Spidey, “We have demanded the state government for additional manpower. However, nothing has happened. Around 500 additional traffic constables are required to manage the traffic situation of Noida.”
Singh also said that a plan for traffic management has been sent to the state government for approval.
Residents of Noida are ruing the traffic situation. “Heavy traffic congestion on the 6 km stretch between the Metro station of Sector 15 and Botanical Garden has made life miserable for commuters, especially during peak hours,” Arun Singh shared.
Commuters blame drivers of three-wheelers majorly for the frequent jams. “They drive erratically and suddenly apply brakes on the road, which increase the chance of accidents too,” a daily commuter revealed.
Rahul Kumar Singh, another commuter, told City Spidey that while the roads of the city are wide enough, illegal parkings and rampant encroachments by vendors have been causing daily traffic snarls. “The traffic police must be present at each intersection to ensure smooth vehicular movement,” he reiterated.
