Traffic plan criticised

VADODARA, Dec 16: Political leaders, including Civil Supplies Minister Jaspal Singh and a number of councillors, on Wednesday joined in p...

VADODARA, Dec 16: Political leaders, including Civil Supplies Minister Jaspal Singh and a number of councillors, on Wednesday joined in protests against the one-way traffic system between Kala Ghoda and Kothi building, building up pressure on the Vadodara Police Commissionerate, which introduced the regulation less than a fortnight ago.

The public outcry seems to have been triggered by the spate of accidents on the stretch. An unidentified cyclist was run over by a speeding State Transport bus on Tuesday evening, while 20-year-old Praveen Parmar received minor injuries when an ST bus brushed past his scooter in front of the SSG Hospital on Wednesday morning.

Eyewitnesses told Express Newsline that the accident was precipitated by a factor the police has taken casually: people often break rules in an effort to join the main flow of traffic by taking a short-cut through the hospital campus. The authorities also do not seem to have taken cognisance of the fact that the one-way time limits 8212; 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. 8212; is not always adhered to strictly.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Traffic A R Munshi says many road users take a short-cut route through the SSG hospital. 8220;We try hard to restrict the vehicle movement inside the hospital, but, there are many who escape8221;, a senior police officer told Express Newsline at the hospital immediately after an accident.

Additional Commissioner of Police Tandon, however, prefers to appeal the public to be cooperative. 8220;After studying the traffic congestions and blockades on the said roads, we had appealed to public to give suggestions and objections within a month8217;s time. We waited for two months and thoroughly appreciated a few of complaints which were mainly from the businessmen located around,8221; he said.

He said this one-way was not permanent and the police were flexible. By implementing the new traffic system, the police were trying to ensure smooth and faster flow of traffic and also check noise and air pollution.