Pandemonium in traffic open house in Ahmedabad

Like Amdavad traffic, chaos ruled supreme even at the open house that was called on Friday to resolve its issues in the Town Hall. Hundreds of people came to the venue to vent their ire on traffic issues of the city after the principal secretary, home department, SK Nanda had announced an open house on the matter, assuring people of speedy disposal of issues.

However, as is the case with many such event, this event turned into an rather ‘openly divided house’ with organisers not allowing people to speak and the mike was given to BJP MLAs from the area. The open house was initially controlled only by politicians and police officers, who were mostly addressing people from the stage.

People, soon lost their patience and started shouting when they were not allowed to air their views. Irate people also marched up to the podium and took the issue very seriously and finally were allowed to voice their problems.

Of the many problems menace of the cows and autorickshaw drivers on the city roads figured prominently in the list of complaints. Other complaints from the local areas too were raised before the secretary like traffic jams near the schools, encroachment on the footpaths, sign boards etc.

Complaining about the issue of cow menace on the city roads, Bhargav Patel – a resident of Juna Vadaj, said, cows moving on the roads freely speak volumes about city traffic department as well as municipal corporation’s non-existing management on this issue.

Another complainant Amrat Chauhan said that schools with playgrounds should be allowed to park their school vehicles in their own grounds so that traffic chaos is decreased on roads near them.  

Residents of areas like CG Road, Ghatlodia, Naranpura, Maninagar, Bapunagar, Naroda, Geeta Mandir among many others took part in the open discussion and discussed problems they face in day-to-day city traffic. The home department received 63 complaints of traffic related problems in the city.

Kashyap Trivedi, a shop owner on CG Road said that the ban on the vehicles on the CG Road on every Sunday should be withdrawn as it is creating loss for city traders. 

Along with Nanda, commissioner of police, SK Saikia, BJP MLA Rakesh Shah as well as Geetaben Patel and other senior police officials were present in the event. At the end of the programme Nanda said that the same programme will be replicated in other parts of the state very soon and the actions on the complaint received in Ahmedabad will be taken immediately.

He also appealed to the people to give a scheme to the government to resolve traffic issues for which, he assured the government will implement.