Traffic snarls irk Council members

Cutting across party lines, members in the Legislative Council have criticised lack of coordinated efforts to address deteriorating traffic situation in the twin cities. Even as the road space in the city is only 11 per cent of the total area, resulting in severe congestion and traffic jams, police were keen on issuing chalans than regulating the traffic flow. Are the cops who issued more chalans offered special incentives by the department, Congress member M.S. Prabhakar Rao sought to know.

Though the poser evoked laughter, members were quick to express their unhappiness over the traffic situation turning from bad to worse.

Mr. Syed Altaf Hyder Razvi said out of 500 junctions in the city, traffic signals did not function in 45 per cent of them. The pace on road widening was tardy, he said.

Council Chairman A.Chakrapani said that indiscriminate shifting of road dividers was resulting in accidents.

Bhanu Prasad (Congress) said Bangalore which faced severe traffic snarls two years ago had improved the situation by constituting an advisory committee of professionals who gave suggestions for improving traffic flow in a scientific manner. He demanded constitution of such an advisory committee.

K. Nageshwar (Graduate) said public transport system in high traffic density areas like Kukatpally and Nizampet should be strengthened. He wanted mini buses in old city which has “only four per cent road space”.

Home Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy said twin cities had only 11 per cent of road space as against the optimum requirement of 15 to 18 per cent. And 10,000 vehicles were added every month for the last five years aggravating the road congestion.

She however said that a committee was constituted with traffic, municipal, RTC and HMDA officials for a coordinated effort to improve traffic flow. She agreed to invite city MLAs, MLCs to the meetings to take their feedback. Six hundred more home guards were being recruited, she said.

Denying that the police focused only on issuing chalans, she said traffic rules were being enforced strictly to increase compliance.