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Saturday, September 19, 2009

Traffic woes for Guwahati denizens

GUWAHATI, Sept 19: Traffic jams are a regular feature in Guwahati. But Guwahatians today were left high and dry after what can be described as one of the worst traffic jams that the city has witnessed in recent times.

A traffic congestion that started this morning, following the AASU-ABSU education development rally, and continued till late in the evening threw life completely out of gear today. If one delves deep into this problem, various issues will come to light. Though it is the responsibility of the district administration to solve the traffic woes of the people, the role of the denizens of the city in this matter cannot be ignored.

People have long been demanding the re-opening of parking spaces under the flyovers in the city which were closed down after the October 30 serial blasts. According to them, it will solve the parking problem on one hand and reduce the traffic congestion on the other hand. But it has to be taken into account that the Government has been repeatedly saying that the people of Guwahati have not been coordinating with the Government and instead of specified parking places ,they park their vehicles in ‘no parking’ areas which also increases traffic congestion.

Traffic jams not just waste people’s valuable time but also causes health hazards. They increase both air as well as sound pollution. People caught in such a situation are the worst sufferers. They inhale polluted air and have to bear with sound pollution also. So considering all these factors, an immediate solution to this problem is the need of the hour.

Instead of private vehicles people should use public transport for commuting to offices. Parents should also consider sending children in school buses (with adequate safety measures). But here lies the responsibility of the Government.

Government should also take adequate steps to stop sound pollution by giving proper guidelines to vehicle drivers, most of whom do not have any sense of responsibility and blow horn unnecessarily. Regular pollution check of vehicles should be mandatory as most of the vehicles in the city are plying without proper maintenance. THE SENTINEL

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