By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 26 Sep: Dehradun city is not only home to one of highest per capita population of vehicles but also has to bear the pressure of a very high number of non-local vehicles from other states. Coupled with narrow roads and paucity of adequate parking facilities, this large number of vehicles results in huge traffic jams in the city on almost a daily basis.
Dehradun Police have attributed the traffic jams mainly to people parking their vehicles in no parking areas. To deal with this issue of vehicles parked in No-Parking areas, the Police have come up with a very strict action plan. The Dehradun Police say that, to control the traffic pressure, they have planned additional deployment of cranes to tow away vehicles. They have also increased the scope of action along additional routes in the city and even to rural areas of the district.
Now 21 cranes will be operated to tow vehicles parked in no parking zones. Doon Police have sent a proposal to increase additional cranes. At present, only 9 cranes are being operated to take action on the main routes of the district. With the increase in the number of cranes, action will be taken against vehicles parked in no parking zones in other connecting routes as well in addition to previously marked main routes.
Currently 9 cranes are being operated in Rishikesh, Mussoorie, Ghantaghar, ISBT, Ballupur, Sahatradhara and IT Park areas of the district. New areas have been identified now for deployment of cranes to tow away the vehicles parked in unauthorised places.
The Police have claimed that due to people parking their vehicles on the roadside, the traffic pressure increases on the roads as well as on different main routes of the city. Correspondence has been made with the government to increase the number of cranes to 21 to take action against the drivers violating traffic rules on the roads. After getting permission from the government, additional cranes will be operated on all the routes soon. Also, towing of two wheelers parked in no parking zones in violation of traffic rules will also be carried out.
Two cranes will be operated in Rishikesh area. These cranes will keep an eye on Dhalwala, Natraj Chowk, Mansa Devi, Shyampur, Doon Tiraha, Natraj Chowk, AIIMS Tiraha, Chandrabhaga Ghat, Kale Ki Dhal areas.
Two cranes will be operated in Mussoorie area. With their help, Mussoorie Taxi Stand, Fire Station, Picture Palace, King Greg areas will be covered.
Two cranes will be stationed on Ghantaghar Chakrata Road. With their help, Traffic Office, Doon Chowk, Tehsil Chowk, Darshan Lal Chowk, Ghantaghar, Kishan Nagar Chowk, Ballupur Chowk areas will be monitored.
Three cranes will be stationed between Ghantaghar and Rajpur Road area. With their help, Orient Chowk, Kanak Chowk, Ghantaghar, Globe Chowk, Behl Chowk, Dilaram Chowk, Great Value Tiraha, Beni Bazaar, Secretariat Subhash Road, Rozgar Tiraha, Survey Chowk will be monitored.
Three cranes will be deployed between ISBT and Saharanpur Chowk and Railway Station. With their help, Traffic Office, Hotel Drona Cut, Prince Chowk, Richirich Cut, Railway Station, Saharanpur Chowk, Bhandari Bagh Tiraha, Lal Pul, Indresh Hospital Road, Niranjanpur Mandi areas will be covered and monitored.
One crane will be deployed between Kargi and Jogiwala. It will cover areas like Kargi Chowk, Ajabpur Flyover, Rispana, Vidhan Sabha Tiraha, Jogiwala areas.
Two cranes will be deployed between Ballupur and Premnagar Road. With their help, Ballupur Chowk, Balliwala Chowk, Panditwadi, Premnagar, Nanda Ki Chowki, Suddhowala areas will be covered.
One crane will be deployed between Sahastradhara and Raipur. It will cover Survey Chowk, Chuna Bhatta and Sahastradhara Crossing areas.
One crane will be deployed between IT Park and Canal Road. Areas such as IT Park, Canal Road, Great Value Tiraha areas will be covered.
Apart from this, another crane will also be deployed to keep eye on areas including Traffic Office, Doon Chowk, MKP, Dwarika Store, Cross Road, Araghar and Dharampur Mandi, Fawwara Chowk, Dharampur, Racecourse Chowk, Kabadi Market areas.
Apart from this, 2 cranes will be deployed in Vikasnagar area. With their help, Herbertpur, Vikasnagar Mandi, Jeevangarh, Selaqui Bazaar will be covered.
SSP Ajai Singh has claimed that Doon Police are continuously taking action against drivers who violate traffic rules. During the operation, in the last 8 months, police have issued challans against 1,189 drivers who were involved in rash driving and driving on the wrong side, and 8,539 drivers who were violating traffic rules by speeding and using pressure horns.
However, the Police have not come out with any details of the additional parking facilities in the city, lack of which often forces vehicle owners to park on the roads. The Dehradun district administration as well as the MDDA have also not been able to take any concrete action against the commercial complexes which are using underground spaces meant for parking for other commercial activities and against the complexes which have been built in violation of the rules and have no provision of parking. In absence of this, the so called strictness is bound to create some avoidable harassment of vehicle owners.
