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Traffic jammed? Here's why

Ahmedabad : These may be called roads to trepidation for many who take them every morning. Traffic jams during peak hours on these roads can play a spoilsport and ruin the taste of your morning coffee, have your blood pressure levels shoot through the roof and in the end, a scuffle over parking can be the last straw shattering your day.

A study conducted by CEPT on some busy road stretches of the city revealed that out of 14 road lengths selected, four were running above capacity, in the order of 105 to 117% while four were running full capacity. These include Kalupur Railway Crossing to Sarangpur Crossroads, Danilimda Road, Shahpur Darwaza to Delhi Darwaza, Mahalaxmi Crossroads to Jamalpur Crossroads and Ellisbridge to Geeta Mandir.

While in the west, roads like Memnagar-HL Commerce six-roads, Ashram Road stretch between IT circle and Nehru Bridge and RTO Circle to railway station are running full capacity between 96 to 100 per cent. If you happen to be travelling on these stretches, you are sure to encounter a traffic jam during peak hours.

These jams indicate that though these roads were designed to handle 3,000 to 4,500 passenger car units an hour, depending on whether they are four or six lanes they now are overflowing. Another concern for city administration are the 7,309 motorised and non-motorised vehicles that enter city every day from peripheral areas and other districts. Most traffic enters from Nadiad side into city about 19,055 vehicles enter from this corridor, of them about 6,926 are cars and 5,27 two-wheelers.

"An efficient public transport is the only answer. For the time being, junction traffic management, one-way streets, banning right turns at critical points, removal of encroachment and stationary activities and banning street parking on arterial roads can make life easier for commuters. Roads cannot be expanded, the more you extend them the more cars you have on them. Cars, for instance, are increasing by an average rate of 13 per cent every year. Nearly 74 per cent of the 21 lakh vehicle population are vehicles and we know this number is set to grow," said a senior AMC officer.

Source: TOI, 25th Feb, 09