Wading through the mad, mad maze of Guntur traffic

Evolutionary pangs, sans a matching support infrastructure is reflected in the Guntur’s famed chilli effect on the city’s traffic

Over the years, Guntur has metamorphosed from an agrarian hub into a bustling trading and commercial hub. But the infrastructure has not been scaled up commensurately leaving residents to grapple with the traffic situation everyday. It’s not just the number of vehicles, but the absence of an efficient traffic management system; lack of coordination between

the Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) and the Police; lack of a strong will among the public representatives to get big ticket projects like Rail over Bridges (RoBs), Low Height Subways (LHS), that have been the bane of the city.

Only grand plans

Take the oldest RoB in the state, the Arundelpet RoB opened in 1964. The narrow RoB still serves as the vital link between One Town and Two Town. While vehicles have multiplied over the years, there has been no effort either to lay another bridge, or at least to build a Rail under Bridge (RuB). A grand plan to a build a massive fly over from the Municipal Travellers Bungalow (MTB) Junction to Arundelpet conceived a decade ago, has been shelved. The GMC and the Railways have identified seven level crossings under which LHS could be built, but none of them have materialized so far.

To exacerbate, the civic body began digging the roads for laying the Under Ground Drainage system. Traffic snarls are common at MTB Junction, RTC Bus Station Complex, Bose Bomma Centre in Kothapet.

A study for improvement

A Comprehensive Traffic Study (CTS), by Craphts Consultants (India), the only survey done to study the traffic scenario in the city has revealed interesting facts (see infobox).

Further, it provided a blueprint for a short, medium and long term efficient traffic management system. It suggested the GMC and the police to prepare a Traffic Management Plan (TMP), reorganize on-street parking and improve the central area road network. Finally, a Mass Rapid Transport System to meet future needs.

An estimated 2.5 lakh vehicles criss cross the city on the 82.3 km road network, and 50% of them ply on the Chennai-Kolkata National Highway. The city is connected to the national highway through seven arterial roads. The old Grand Trunk Road passes through the main city linking to the Chennai National Highway.

The Guntur Urban Police has often been the target of criticism. Dogged by severe staff crunch, they have not been able to regulate the traffic. Post bifurcation of the State, most of the force is being deployed at the residences of Chief Minister and former CM, and for bandobust duties.

Time to act

"The Guntur Urban Police is facing a severe staff crunch. The Traffic wing is manned by just 60 cops, and at least half of them are being deployed in Tadepalli. We have written to the GMC about the need to renovate the traffic signaling system, draw pedestrian crossing marks and the need to procure more traffic stoppers," said Deputy Superintendent of Police, Traffic, M. Supraja.

Senior police officers aver the situation can improve only if the Urban Police District is scaled up into a commisionerate.