The key underpasses in Ludhiana's busiest areas have transformed into dangerous zones for traffic violations, causing significant alarm among daily commuters and local residents. The underpasses located at Sarabha Nagar, Model Town, and Pakhowal Road are now identified as major hotspots where rules are routinely flouted, leading to a heightened risk of accidents.
Ignored Signboards and Risky Maneuvers
Despite clear signboards being installed at entry and exit points to guide drivers, a large number of motorists completely disregard the instructions. This blatant ignoring of posted rules has resulted in a rampant practice of wrong-side driving within these underpasses. Furthermore, drivers are attempting illegal U-turns at the midpoint of the Sarabha Nagar and Model Town underpasses, opting for dangerous shortcuts to save time.
This reckless behavior directly jeopardizes the safety of other vehicles lawfully using the routes. Authorities have installed blockades to prevent such actions, but these are often not fixed in their proper positions, which inadvertently enables drivers to make risky crossings and turns.
Official Rules and Public Outcry
Senior officers from the Ludhiana Traffic Police have reiterated that commuters must only use the lane on their left-hand side (the driving side) while navigating these underpasses. For additional guidance, banners have been put up to clearly indicate the designated sides for entry and exit.
However, residents who use these routes daily have voiced strong concerns about the persistent violations and the looming threat to safety. Many are advocating for a consistent presence of traffic police personnel at these underpasses to manage vehicular flow and penalize those breaking the law.
Residents Propose Immediate Solutions
Colonel Jagjit Singh Gill, a resident of Defence Colony in BRS Nagar, highlighted a core design issue. He pointed out that while the underpasses were built for one-way traffic, they are now being used for two-way movement. This is partly due to factors like the afternoon rush from a private school in Sarabha Nagar causing jams.
"The existing underpasses need to be made safe for two-way traffic with plastic medians from MC's zone D office side ingress until a better alternative can be found," Col Gill suggested. He also stressed the need for daily deployment of traffic cops at the site to improve the situation.
Echoing these worries, J P Singh, a retired PCS officer from Ludhiana, described the total chaos. "If we look at the underpass from MC office, Sarabha Nagar side, entry from this side is not allowed, but vehicles from both sides use the route, flouting norms. On the other side where traffic is allowed to enter from Model Town Extension side, vehicles come from Sarabha Nagar side as well. There's a total traffic mess from all sides," he said.
Singh issued a stern warning, urging authorities to review the current situation. "It must be checked otherwise there may be a serious accident some day," he cautioned. The collective appeal from the public is clear: immediate and effective intervention is required to prevent a major tragedy and restore order to Ludhiana's crucial underpasses.
