Nagpur: While commuters on Wardha Road in Nagpur breathed a sigh of relief due to a new traffic management system that reduced travel time between Morris College Square and Ajni Square from 30 minutes to just 6 minutes from September 23 to 28, the traffic police have decided to restore the old system starting from Monday, September 30.
The traffic police have invited suggestions from citizens regarding the traffic experiment. However, there are murmurs in administrative circles about pressure from certain quarters to prevent the City Police from continuing the experiment.
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Monday 30 Sept. 2024
According to media reports, the traffic experiment will not be continued by the traffic police as they await suggestions and public feedback. Citizens can provide their input to the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Traffic by submitting written responses or sending them via email and social media handles. After receiving feedback, senior police officials will decide whether to maintain the experimental system or revert back to the old way.
The experiment, implemented by the Nagpur Traffic Police for a week, received a positive response from the public. It is important to note that traffic on Wardha Road has faced severe jams since the opening of new Ajni Road at Kriplani Square. For the past four years, motorists have crawled from Rahate Colony T-Point to Ajni Square, particularly during evening rush hours when two traffic signals — at Rahate Colony Square and Kriplani Square — created bottlenecks.
Commuters often found themselves waiting for 2-3 green lights just to move a short distance. In recent months, vehicles have been plying on the Shaheed Govari Flyover, taking almost 30 minutes for four-wheelers to cross the distance from Morris College T-Point to Ajni Square during peak hours.
During the implementation of the new experiment, while overall traffic conditions improved, some drivers faced challenges due to the prohibition on right turns. However, the number of affected commuters was minimal compared to those benefiting from the system. For those travelling toward Deekshabhoomi from Kriplani Square, U-turns were made available just 150 meters ahead, in front of the Central Jail.
Influential residents object to blocking right turn
A few influential residents of areas along South Ambazari Road complained against blocking the right turn under the traffic regulation experiment. Right turns were prohibited at Rahate Colony and Kriplani Squares. People could take U-turn in front of Central Jail, just 150 meters ahead without any signal. Previously, they had to wait for signals.
The Smart City data
According to Smart City data, 80 percent of vehicles are moving towards Ajni Square and Morris College T-Point. During the experiment, congestion was noted at Janata Square for a few minutes. However, the signal was set to blinking mode, and staff of traffic police was deployed to control the traffic, stated the traffic police in a press release.
