By Dr Nitin Pandey
Kudos to Garhwal Post for highlighting the pathetic state of traffic in our city, in the editorial on 15th January 2026. As rightly pointed out, the response of the State Government and the administration has been pathetically nil, probably because the roads they travel on are routinely cleared by police by blocking entry of other vehicles in advance and since they “see no traffic jams, there are no traffic jams”. The anger and desperation of Doonites at the traffic mess therefore fails to move the administration.
Being a resident of and working in central parts of Dehradun, I am an unfortunate victim of this traffic mess. Since I crisscross the central part of the city a number of times every day, my patience and nerves are tested multiple times daily. That is why your timely editorial has touched a raw nerve of mine.
However, with due respect, I disagree with the punch line of the editorial, that the main culprit behind this mess is the inadequacy of the police force. No city in this world has policemen manning every single crossing. You hardly see policemen on the roads in most, if not all, cities and their traffic flows smoothly regardless.
I would like to take this opportunity to list a few steps I feel should make a difference, some of which can be implemented on an immediate basis, some on an intermediate timeline and some are long term.
Immediate Steps
The traffic mess in Dehradun is both acute and severe, so immediate steps are required, which would provide relief in the shortest possible time:
- Inner Ring Road: Dehradun needs an inner ring road, where traffic moves without any crossings and traffic lights. It can easily be made by simply making some roads around the Clock Tower one way. As shown in the diagram below, the road between Darshan Lal Chowk to Clock Tower becomes one way towards Clock Tower, with the traffic splitting between those wishing to go towards Chakrata Road and those who would go towards Astley Hall. The entire traffic from Chakrata Road turns towards Astley Hall. From Kwality Chowk to Kanak Chowk to Lansdowne Chowk and then Buddha Chowk and back to Darshan Lal Chowk are all one way, as shown in the diagram.
- Improving local public transport can be achieved in a short time by replacing all Vikrams with buses. A bus takes just 1.5 times more road space but carries 4 times more passengers, hence can provide better public transport in short term.
- Improving traffic monitoring through CCTV and immediate fines for those breaking traffic rules. Phone numbers with RTO of registered vehicles are often incorrect and need to be updated via an intensive phone number verification drive. Instant fine SMSs on traffic violations are a big deterrent. More than physical presence of police personnel, working traffic cams, a well-functioning police control room with daily monitoring of online fines by a senior police officer is desperately needed.
Intermediate Term Steps
- Elevated Roads and Flyovers are desperately needed to divert traffic away from Dehradun Centre. Rispana and Bindal Elevated roads are long overdue. Proposed elevated road from Mokhampur to ISBT needs to be acted upon with urgency. Unfortunately, the Bhandari Bagh flyover is being made two lane, which is grossly insufficient and will be a hindrance to traffic like the Balliwala Flyover. All elevated roads and flyovers should be four lane, at the very least.
Long Term Steps
- Shift the Capital: Almost two centuries ago, the British realised that there was no way the then city of Delhi could function as India’s capital and New Delhi came into being. Dehradun is an old city and is in no way suitable to be the State Capital. The earlier we shift the capital the better will it be for everyone.
- Public Transport: It needs to be improved over long term with a fast rapid transport system. It is beyond my knowledge what that should be, but whatever form it takes, our government should focus on it from today. The obsolete idea of Rapid Bus Corridors, which the administration is toying with currently, has never worked in any city and will not work in Dehradun, the earlier they give up toying with this idea, the better will it be.
- Public Education on traffic etiquette and discipline is a long term strategy but it needs to be implemented now at school level to produce sensitized citizens in the long term.
