Noida Police grapple with traffic jams

The traffic police department, which has to manage traffic movement at more than 220 signals to ensure hassle free ride, is facing difficulties to unclog the intersections. 

Heavy vehicular flow due to expansion of the city, rampant violation of road safety norms, encroachments and unauthorised parking have added more traffic woes in the recent past.

A rough data has revealed that over seven lakh vehicles have been plying daily in the city and their number is gradually going up. As allocation of traffic personnel has not been augmented in the past 10 years, it has resulted shortage of staff at various traffic junctions. 

The department, in order to streamline traffic movement, wants deployment of more cops at various points. “With expanding the region, traffic mess have been witnessing regularly. Despite writing to the top authorities for more personnel several times, no assurance has been made yet. It is not possible to manage traffic with just 125 men for twin city-Noida and Greater Noida of Gautambuddh Nagar district,” said a senior traffic official.

Among the congested intersections, Atta market, a most crowded place, has its vendors encroaching upon the pavements and visitors parking their vehicles along the already narrow roads. 

The problem gets compounded because of the absence of an authorised parking lot at the adjoining Metro station. Intersection near the Indian Oil building in Sector 1 also witnesses traffic mess. 

Errant road users, mainly pedestrians and auto drivers flout traffic rules at this junction. 

There is also a Metro station at the intersection which leads to traffic congestion. Earlier, constructed underpass on the Dadri-Surajpur Chhalera (DSC) Road near the Sector 37 intersection and a flyover from Sector 44 to Chhalera to bypass the intersection witnesses spurt of vehicles these days. Road leading to Kalindi Kunj at the intersection also adds traffic woes. 

The area needs immediate attention with proper barricading and stationing of more cops. Apart from this, entry and exit point of the city also posing major challenges in the way of smooth vehicular movement. “Vehicles coming from NH-24 results traffic chaos. Although the issue has been highlighted many times, but it is hard to manage incessant flow of traffic all the time,” a traffic official said.