Need to streamline traffic at Tajpur Chowk

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 25

The Tajpur chowk here witnesses huge traffic and the uncontrolled movement of pedestrians and cyclists crossing the road from one side to the other endangers their lives at this black spot on the national highway.

A police survey says 11 persons have lost their lives at this spot in three years (2016, 2017 and 2018) by getting hit by high-speed vehicles. Most of the victims included pedestrians, cyclists and scooter/motorcycle riders.

During the survey, it was found that many people drive on the wrong side while moving from the Tajpur cut towards the Tibba cut as there is no service lane available for the movement of this traffic. Also, there are no fences on both sides of this road.

A large number of factories/mills are located on both sides of the road where a large number of labourers work in shifts. Their movement on the busy road always poses a grave risk to them. There is no provision of under-pass/over-pass for crossing the road.

There are dairy farms located in this area. The dairy farms owners abandon unproductive cattle and set them free on the roads, leading to stray cattle menace.

There are no proper blinker lights, speed breakers, zebra crossing marks and signboards at this point.

Shopkeepers/ workshop owners have encroached upon service lanes along with the part of highway (from Samrala Chowk to Tajpur Chowk) as they park their vehicles and keep their products on the service lane outside the shops.

The drains constructed for the drainage of rainwater are broken/blocked at many spots due to which this water does not get drained properly.

A resident demanded that for the smooth movement of the traffic between Tajpur Chowk and Tibba Road, there is a need to construct a service lane or a flyover along with fences.

“The stray cattle should be sent to gaushalas. There is a need to construct speed breakers and slipway at the point where the commuters take the national highway via the link road so that this traffic does not affect the movement of the vehicles on the highway,” said residents.

Residents said due to the location of factories along the road, there was a need to construct a footpath-cum-cycle track alongside the service lane for pedestrians and cyclists.

Grey areas

• There are no proper blinker lights, speed breakers, zebra crossing marks and signboards at this point.
• Shopkeepers/ workshop owners have encroached upon service lanes along with the part of highway (from Samrala Chowk to Tajpur Chowk) as they park their vehicles and keep their products on the service lane outside the shops.