GUWAHATI, Sept 12 - Heavy traffic congestion on the stretch of NH-37 from Jalukbari to Khanapara on a regular basis has become a serious hazard for all sections of commuters.
Traffic jams are common in this area during both day and night hours, leading to a considerable delay for every vehicle crossing this stretch of the highway.
According to locals, a chaotic situation is witnessed every moment during an office day, especially at Lokhra and Gorchuk Chariali. The situation has been deteriorating in the past few days due to various reasons.
�It is not possible to cross the Gorchuk and Lokhra points without facing traffic snarls. The situation becomes unbearable especially in the morning and evening hours. On some days, it takes more than an hour to cross these two points,� Ajay Das, a city-based driver, told this correspondent.
He, however, stated that the situation can be brought under control if the authority concerned installs an adequate number of traffic signal points at these junctions.
�It�s not possible for two-three traffic personnel to control hundreds of vehicles at a time on the busy highway. Installation of traffic signal lights might solve the problem. We also need two flyovers at these junctions as a long-term measure to ease the congestion,� he said.
Meanwhile, speaking on the issue, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Prasanta Saikia said, �Neither an adequate number of traffic personnel nor installation of digitalised traffic signal lights can solve the traffic problem in these two points. These points have some defects from the road engineering point of view. We have taken the matter seriously and are going to organise a meeting with all stakeholders, including the National Highway Authority of India. Unless the engineering defects are rectified, the problem will never go away.�
Traffic chaos in these points causes serious problems for school students in particular. According to a source, around nine private schools are located in the area and all of them have their own buses.
�On the days when the schools are open, more than 700 schoolbuses hit the road at the same time during morning and afternoon hours. So, the situation spins out of control and ultimately the students have to bear the brunt,� a traffic personnel said.
