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Starting Saturday, at least five traffic heavy stretches in Gurugram will be made one-way to reduce traffic jams and facilitate smooth vehicular movement, Gurugram traffic police said on Friday.
The stretches from Rajiv Chowk to Sohna Chowk, Gurdwara Road, Aggarwal Dharamshala Chowk, Mor Chowk, and Sethi Chowk will be made one-way so that there is a bit of respite from congestion during peak hours as wrong-side driving is rampant during these times at these five points, said police.
The stretches identified are narrow and encroached on by hawkers on both sides. Police said all these five stretches have two-way carriageways and bidirectional traffic. It is estimated that more than 50,000 vehicles use these stretches daily, they said.
Virender Vij, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) , said they will try out the one-way system on Saturday and based on the how effective it is, the system may be made permanent to decongest stretches. “We have decided to make changes to resolve the growing traffic congestion so that commuters can move on roads smoothly,” he said.
Vij said commuters going from Rajiv Chowk towards bus stand will not take a right turn from Jail Chowk but instead from Sohna Chowk towards the bus stand.
Those going towards Rajiv Chowk from Sadar Market will not be allowed to go straight from Sohna Chowk, but will turn left from Aggarwal Chowk via Mor Chowk, via Jail Chowk towards Rajiv Chowk. Police said this is one of the most congested stretches of Old Gurugram.
Similarly, motorists going from Patel Nagar (Sector 15 ) towards Sadar Bazar will not take right from Mor Chowk and go straight to Sadar Bazar via Jail Chowk to Sethi Chowk (Sector 4).
Jatin Chachra, a resident of Sector 12, said crossing these stretches during peak hours is a nightmare. “The roads are encroached on from both sides and one cannot traverse these stretches in a four-wheeler. People living in Old Gurugram prefer two-wheelers for this reason, but the new one-way plan, it will resolve the congestion issue,” he said.
DCP Vij said they are in the process of identifying other areas where such decongestion measures are needed. “Dedicated plans are being made for each of these areas based on a study pertaining to the traffic volume, kind of traffic, and the needs of commuters,” he said.
In May, traffic police and road safety officers (RSOs) had conducted a survey of 35 internal roads with an aim to make them one-way to ease traffic flow and alleviate congestion. The survey was carried out to assess the road network and vehicular pressure on key stretches, and traffic police started a trial run of the suggested changes on a 1.5km stretch near Apparel House in Sector 44, one of the busiest areas in the city with over 200 companies.
More than 25 stretches have been identified as heavily congested, where a travel time of 20-30 minutes is required to cover a distance of one or two kilometres, said officials.
Key stretches that are likely to be made one-way include Apparel House, Sector-56 Road, Old and New Railway Roads, Gurudwara Road, Basai Road, Khandsa Road, Sheetala Mata Road, Hong Kong Market Road, Sector 15, Sector 10, and Old Delhi Road.
“The focus must remain on enhancing safety and smooth traffic flow in market areas as pedestrian flow is very high in these areas. The trial should ensure clear signages, well-marked pedestrian crossings, a strict ‘no parking’ policy, vigilant monitoring, and adaptive strategies. This trial will demonstrate its full potential during weekdays,”Sarika Panda Bhatt, founder trustee, Raahgiri Foundation.
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