Traffic nightmare on Corporate Road
With no traffic cop or signal from Makarba to Prahladnagar crossroads, the 2-km stretch takes almost an hour to traverse during peak hours
Updated: Aug 14th, 2024
You have just completed a backbreaking 9-hour shift and all you wish is to reach home early and slump into bed. It is not to be. A 15-minute, 2-km drive from Makarba through Corporate Road to Prahladnagar crossroads stretches to almost an hour during peak hours. With no traffic cop or signals to regulate the flow of vehicles, it’s a free for all.
It’s a nightmare for hundreds of employees working in banks, private offices, restaurants on Corporate Road – one of Ahmedabad’s poshest localities – to traverse this stretch during peak hours, especially in the evening.
Bagula circle, Makarba
The Bagula circle – an intersection near Makarba Talati Office and 31Five commercial building is hell for commuters from 9 to 10 am and 7 to 8 pm.
What makes this intersection a mess is the roads leading to it are plagued by illegally parked cars, reckless drivers, and impatient commuters.
Illegally parked car outside Makarba Talati Office
A large number of vehicles are illegally parked on the roads, most of which belong to employees who work at Westgate Bay, a corporate office between Makarba Talati Office and the newly constructed LC26 underpass.
Hitendra Makwana, an official of AMC’s estate department said that they hardly received any complaints from this area as it is less residential and more corporate and commercial. Makwana advises commuters to use the citizen complaint call centre number ‘155303’ to lodge any complaint regarding civic issues.
Moreover, for traffic related problems, one can dial ‘1095’, the traffic helpline number of Ahmedabad police.
“There are many employees in this coworking commercial building. It has banks, IT offices, and other corporate offices. However, only a few are given the basement access, so we are forced to park outside,” says an employee working at Westgate Bay.
Notably, there is a parking space near the building where only 2-3 vehicles are parked, leaving most of the area empty. The security guard says, “This parking space belongs only to employees working on the first floor.”
Commuters’ plight
Jaydeep, a two-wheeler rider who travels every day from his office at Corporate Road towards Sarkhej, says, “Daily I am caught in traffic and get stuck for 30 minutes. People park anywhere. The traffic can be managed if the AMC’s estate department removes all the illegally parked cars and two-wheelers.”
Another commuter in his car, Mahendra Sahu, says, “This road suddenly faces congestion in peak hours as there is no ‘traffic sense’ in public.”
A man who volunteers daily to manage the traffic says, “At this junction, commuters are reckless and impatient to go home and there is a lack of traffic sense.”
He suggested that there should be Traffic Regulatory Brigade (TRB) officials as this road can be managed with minimal cooperation from the public and efforts of traffic police.
Long wait time at Prahladnagar crossroads
Prahladnagar cross road traffic
Commuters coming from Corporate Road once again encounter a long wait time at Prahladnagar crossroads and have to wade through heavy traffic till they get to clear the signal.
Here are the signal timings of Prahladnagar Garden intersection during peak hours, which is somehow a factor resulting in traffic.
From | Towards | Red countdown | Green countdown |
---|---|---|---|
Corporate Road | Prahlad Nagar Garden | 118 | 24 |
Prahlad Nagar Garden | Corporate Road | 14 | 123 |
Anand Nagar | SG Highway | 104 | 18 |
SG Highway | Anand Nagar | 104 | 18 |
According to operations document of Ahmedabad Traffic Management and Information Control Centre (TMICC), traffic is managed by the City Traffic Police, while the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) installs and maintains equipment (signals).
“We have intimated traffic police N division Police Inspector P A Marwada about the long red light timing and she will soon report it to AMC officials who will then change the signal timings for this intersection,” said Police Constable Ranchhod Rabari present at the Prahladnagar traffic beat.
Regarding the traffic at Prahladnagar junction, Assistant City Engineer Kamlesh Damor says, “We have not received any such congestion problem yet in the area.”
Also read:
HC orders strict action against vehicles parked on roads, footpaths, seeks status report on Aug 20
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