Illegal parking by auto drivers worsens traffic woes in city

Illegal and unregulated parking of auto-rickshaws at major intersections and roads across the city has been a persistent menace for daily commuters, triggering regular traffic jams and causing widespread inconvenience. Despite repeated complaints from people, the authorities concerned and traffic police appear unable, or unwilling, to take effective action against the offenders, largely due to political patronage enjoyed by auto-rickshaw unions.

Rather than penalising drivers for traffic violations, police personnel are often seen urging them to keep moving. The situation is especially dire outside the Amritsar bus stand. During the peak hours, rows of auto-rickshaws block the entire road while waiting for passengers, leading to long queues of vehicles behind them on narrow, unsafe lanes. If a traffic cop is present, at most a single lane is cleared, but in their absence, the road becomes virtually impassable.

Similar scenes of congestion and chaos unfold daily at key junctions, including Hussainpura Chowk, SSSS Chowk, Civil Hospital Chowk, Sangam Cinema Road, Pingalwara side lane, Putligarh Chowk, Khalsa College intersection, Ram Tirath road turn, Sadar Police Station Chowk and the entire ring road around the walled city.

The problem has been compounded by the volume of auto-rickshaws operating in the city, often far beyond the legal or infrastructural capacity.

Ravi Kumar, a daily commuter, said, “Traffic jam due to auto rickshaws is routine. The number of vehicles is several times more than needed in the city. They wait for five to 10 passengers to fill the auto and park right in the middle of the road. Cops do not intervene in their matter.”

Jaskaran Singh, another local resident, said, “I often get stuck in jams near the bus stand. There should be designated parking spots or strict rules for autos, which create all the mess. Politicians remain silent because they need their votes, but thousands of commuters suffer every day.”

Amritsar