Prayagraj Police Roll Out Comprehensive Traffic Decongestion Initiative
In a significant move to enhance travel efficiency, the district traffic police in Prayagraj have identified ten of the busiest routes for the implementation of the Reducing Traffic Congestion (RTC) plan. This initiative aims to provide a hassle-free journey on city roads and highways connecting Prayagraj to major destinations such as Lucknow, Kanpur, Pratapgarh, Rewa, and Varanasi.
Key Routes Targeted Under the RTC Plan
The selected routes, pinpointed after a scientific study considering travel time and peak hours, include:
- Phaphamau Bazar to MNNIT trisection (Prayagraj-Lucknow highway)
- Mercury crossing to Karelabagh
- Arial crossing to Cheoki (Prayagraj-Mirzapur)
- Kutchery to Anand Bhawan
- South Malaka to Prayagraj junction Jogavir
- Gohaniya to Dadupur (Prayagraj-Rewa)
- GT Jawahar to Shastri Bridge (Prayagraj-Varanasi)
- Kanhaipur turn to Mahilagram
- Kothaparcha to Karbala
- Bagar Chowk to Leprosy Crossing
These stretches are known for high-density traffic, where travel time can escalate to three to five times the normal duration during rush hours.
Enhanced Deployment and Training for Traffic Management
To ensure smooth vehicular movement, authorities have deployed additional traffic police personnel and dedicated route marshals on each identified route. Additional DCP (traffic) Pushkar Verma emphasized, "Traffic police authorities have chalked out a concrete plan as part of the RTC project, with additional traffic policemen, thana cops, and a route marshal at every route."
Route marshals have received specialized training to streamline traffic, with responsibilities including on-ground regulation, immediate response to congestion, and coordination with multiple agencies to address bottlenecks.
Technological Integration and Strategic Framework
The RTC project, launched across 20 districts in the state including all seven commissionerates, is part of a broader strategy to modernize urban traffic management. Senior officials are integrating real-time monitoring using Google's live traffic tracking system for quick identification and response to congestion points.
A senior police officer explained, "The plan includes key metrics like area of responsibility (minimum 10km route), travel time variations, and congestion points. A specialized app records daily data to calculate minimum, maximum, and average travel times, monitored in real time by senior cops."
Guided by a '5E strategy'—Education and Awareness, Enforcement, Engineering and Technological Intervention, Encroachment Removal, and Regulation of e-rickshaw operations—the initiative aims for holistic traffic management to improve commuter experience significantly.
