Bopal gridlock: Defunct signals, little parking, zero rules

Ahmedabad: Traffic on a crawl, incessant honking, chaos, indiscipline and frayed tempers. These have become daily travails for those commuting to and from Bopal and South Bopal. It’s a long problem — one that runs from Bopal crossroads, through Bopal bridge to the mall on the northern side, and around SoBo Centre junction in South Bopal. At the root of the problem are grossly inadequate for the growing number of vehicles, public infrastructure straining under population growth, vegetable vendors lining up along already narrow streets, and the space-gobbling BRTS corridor, say harrowed residents of the dense residential cluster.

Jignesh Patel who lives in the area said illegal on-street parking effectively reduces several stretches to single-lane roads. “Cars, two-wheelers, and other vehicles are routinely parked near the vegetable market, because there is no designated spot. This makes traffic movement during peak hours extremely difficult,” he said, adding rush-hour traffic at major intersections moves along only till the time cops are manning them. “Once they leave, it’s utter chaos,” said Patel.

Bopal resident Kiran Shah highlighted another problem at Bopal’s intersections — defunct traffic lights. “The signal near Hanumanji Temple is on the blink,” he said, giving one example.

“Imagine the scenario: A lone traffic policeman managing vehicles coming all four directions amid unruly riders and motorists. The moment the cop turns to regulate traffic on the other side, the ones behind him start jumping the line,” said Shah, narrating something that he sees almost daily.

To whizz past the congestion, many commuters slip into the BRTS lane. Bopal resident Shamak Shah says this has become increasingly common and is a road safety hazard.

South Bopal’s Karishma Sharma said merely installing traffic signals is not enough. “Many jump the red light, unless there is a policeman present. Key junctions need cameras to capture details of offenders and penalise them. Consistent enforcement is the only way to improve road discipline,” she said. Autorickshaws parked at almost all major intersections are another major inconvenience. Residents say these vehicles not only occupy valuable road space but also obstruct traffic flow. Then there are food stalls at junctions that feed the bottlenecks.

Ask a Bopal or South Bopal resident about SoBo Centre, and they are mostly likely to warn of parking issues. Hundreds visit the commercial centre daily, jamming up the road abutting it with vehicles because the building itself has limited parking space and it’s more convenient. “A plot opposite the centre offers some space, but many visitors still choose to park on the road,” said a resident.

Cops spoke of the challenges faced in manning traffic in the area. “Many motorists just don’t want to follow rules. They blame the cops when they get stuck in a jam. We are always on our toes, moving from one side of the intersection to the other. If we focus on the right, commuters from the left begin violating the stop line. Stopping them can lead to arguments, even threats,” a traffic policeman said.

As traffic volume continues to rise with rapid urban growth, residents want authorities to improve parking infrastructure, ensure functioning traffic signals, install surveillance cameras, regulate roadside markets and rickshaw stands, and increase enforcement before the situation further deteriorates.

Officers say Bopal police is tasked with maintaining law and order as well as managing traffic. As the area is now within Ahmedabad city limits, the city traffic police’s jurisdiction should be extended upto Bopal, an officer said.