Traffic snarls on city roads leave residents fuming
City residents have voiced their frustration over the worsening traffic conditions that continue to disrupt daily life across key junctions, with little sign of relief. The issue was also recently raised in the Vidhan Sabha by Jalandhar North MLA Bawa Henry, who urged the government to take concrete steps to control the chaos on roads.
Despite several traffic management initiatives introduced by the police last year such as dividing the city into four traffic zones, declaring some roads as one-way and launching encroachment clearance drives, congestion still remains a persistent issue. Key areas like Nakodar Chowk, Jyoti Chowk near the Civil Hospital, Jail Road, Urban Estate Phase-I and II, Balmiki Gate, Tanda crossing, Adda Hoshiarpur railway crossing, Kishanpura Chowk, Mai Hiran Gate and underpasses near Focal Point and Verka Milk Plant are notorious for frequent traffic jams, especially during evening hours.
The root causes are dysfunctional traffic lights, rampant encroachments by shopkeepers and vendors, lack of parking infrastructure, pothole-ridden roads, illegal parking and poor coordination among departments. Auto-rickshaws and cars are often blamed for reckless driving and poor discipline on roads. Shopkeepers occupying footpaths and vendors spilling onto the main roads only worsen the situation.
Rajan Sharda, president of the Bhartiya Sarvahit Parishad, has also raised the alarm over the deteriorating traffic situation, particularly pointing to the unregulated growth of e-rickshaws in the city.
In a letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, he described the situation as “disturbing and dangerous,” saying that what was once meant to be a convenient public transport solution has now turned into a serious hazard.
“The unchecked and unregulated presence of e-rickshaws is proving to be a major threat to public safety,” Sharda wrote. “Instead of offering convenience, they’ve become a calamity on the roads — posing risks to pedestrians, passengers and other road users alike.”
He criticised the authorities for their failure to enforce rules, especially in allowing defective three-wheelers and banned tractor trolleys to continue plying on city roads, despite clear orders from the Supreme Court.
“The blatant violation of the Supreme Court’s ban and the silence of local enforcement agencies is deeply concerning,” he stated.
Sharda also raised the issue of misuse of power symbols by anti-social elements such as red and blue beacons and hooters on private vehicles. “Such misuse spreads fear and creates an environment of lawlessness,” he noted.
He called on the Chief Minister to come out with any policies or action plans to deal with this crisis. “People deserve to know what the government is doing to control this menace,” he asked.
Jasmeen Kaur, a local resident, echoed the demand for public cooperation. “The number of vehicles on roads has skyrocketed in recent years. Nearly every family now owns multiple cars. Unless we start using public transport, car-pooling or two-wheelers for shorter distances, the situation will keep getting worse,” she said.
The traffic police, on their part, say they are doing their best under challenging circumstances. “We are running daily enforcement drives, but encroachments, broken lights and lack of municipal support make things extremely difficult,” said a traffic cop.
Jalandhar