Nagpur streets are witnessing erratic traffic jams and a glaring absence of traffic police personnel, which has amplified the daily struggles of commuters. The situation has reached a critical point over the past three years as there is congestion at major routes, from Amravati road to Wardha road, and Bhandara road to Kamptee road. During peak hours from 9 am to 12 pm and 5 pm to 8 pm, commuters find themselves trapped in the traffic jams with no respite in sight. Minimum deployment of traffic personnel exacerbates the problem, which has raised concerns among citizens about the city’s inadequate response to their grievances. The situation is worsening with the sluggish pace of ongoing development projects as the construction of roads are taking months to complete. A visible example is the Wardha road stretch from Rahate colony square to Pride hotel, which has been under construction for the past six months, but sections from Rahate colony square to Chhatrapati square are still unfinished.

 

The aftermath of the Panchsheel bridge collapse further compounds traffic woes at Munje square, Variety square, Panchsheel square and Dhantoli square and traffic personnel are turning a blind eye towards the unauthorised and haphazard parking in these areas. One can’t fail to notice the unauthorised parking of auto-rickshaws and food stalls right in the Munje square area. The state of Amravati road is becoming vulnerable where construction of a flyover is undergoing. As per the rules, a contractor is required to lay a temporary layer of tarring on the temporary road. However, the rules are blatantly violated and motorists left with the dust emissions. Presently, 17 infrastructure projects are underway in the city that include Cotton market, Sakkardara, Sitabuldi, Sadar, Sonegaon, Lakadganj divisions of the traffic police and the motorists are left with daily challenges to drive through the chaotic traffic in these divisions.

 

The undergoing Jaistambh traffic improvement scheme and MahaMetro’s work around the railway station leave no space for the commuters to drive their vehicle’s safely. During Diwali, the traffic congestion situation in Gandhibagh, Itwari, Mahal, Central Avenue escalated to the highest level and the commuters got stuck in the traffic for more than 30 minutes. Most concerning is the unprecedented manpower shortage in traffic police, coupled with an increasing vehicle population which lead to a potentially worse situation in the near future. The traffic police’s strategies for traffic management, including setting targets for challans, have also faced criticism. Police reportedly adopted unconventional tactics and played hide and seek to meet their targets which raised concerns about safety and potential accidents. The local residents stressed the need for transparent enforcement and urged a focus on traffic situation to ensure public safety amid the worsening traffic crisis.

As the Winter Session of State Legislature is set to commence on December 7, the commuters in the city are bracing for a worsened gridlock on city’s major roads. The session is expected to draw additional vehicles in the form of political leaders’ convoys and their supporters which would further swell the number of vehicles on the city roads.

The stretch from Akashwani Square to Press Club to Maharajbagh Square is presently grappling with substantial traffic jams due to the road construction activities and there is no sign of relief in sight. Construction activities on Tekdi Road add to the congestion which creates chaotic traffic jams. A surge in traffic from areas like Sadar, Tekdi Road, and the Institute of Science, the Morris College T-point is anticipated to become a focal point of chaotic traffic during the Winter Session.