Traffic management need of the hour spotlight in Guntur, India

Creation date: 09 August 2007

Traffic congestion for hours is a common phenomenon on the only Road Over Bridge in Guntur during peak hours. Absence of a proper traffic management plan has become a roadblock to the all-round development of the city that has been witnessing impressive growth on commercial and industrial arena.

The rapid changes in the socio-economic fabric of Guntur, coupled with proliferation of personal vehicles and influx of population, has exposed the chinks in the traffic management and road infrastructure. This has lead to several traffic related problems, like congestion, parking inconvenience, reduced travel speed and rise in environmental pollution.

Spread over 45.71 sq km, Guntur is bursting with a population touching 8 lakhs. While the population has registered a growth of 9 per cent over a decade, the vehicular population has gone up by 21 per cent with 4,114 vehicles registered in Guntur city alone in 2006.

City is located on NH-5 connecting Chennai and Kolkata. There are seven roads that serve as outlet or entry into the city from all directions. While those from Vijayawada, Tenali, Prattipadu and Chennai form the main connecting thoroughfares, those leading to Hyderabad and Amaravathi carry the maximum traffic.

Divided by the Vijayawada-Hyderabad rail link, the Railway Over Bridge on the western side of the railway station constructed 30 years ago is the vital link between the old and new areas of the city, but it has become narrow for the current traffic.

Level crossings
Numerous level crossings and an underpass on the eastern side of the railway station remain the bottleneck in ensuring the smooth flow of traffic. Adding to the woes of the commuters, are the limited parking facilities in the commercial areas in Brodipet and Arundelpet. The main road from Brodipet 4th line to 10th line is dotted with many malls, super bazaars, which do not have proper parking facilities.

The numerous by-lanes in Arundelpet are a commuter's nightmare. The road leading from GMC Circle to Gollusu Kondla Complex also has limited parking facility. With a skeletal public transport system, the city is largely dependant on personal vehicles and hired autorickshaws for meeting the local transport needs. Among the registered motor vehicles, two-wheelers account for nearly 73 per cent, followed by autorickshaws at 11 per cent.

Average speed A Comprehensive Traffic Study (CTS) conducted by Craphts Consultants (India) Private Limited under the aegis of Andhra Pradesh Urban Services for the Poor (APUSP) has calculated the average journey speed between 17 km per hour along the Donka Road to a maximum of 56 kmph on the Guntur Bypass Road.

An estimated 1.24 lakh vehicles crisscross the city on 82.3 km of road network, with about 50 per cent plying on the national highways. The survey also revealed that Guntur Municipal Corporation Circle, Brindavan Gardens and Chuttugunta registered the maximum Peak Hour Factor (PHF).

The agency provided a blueprint for a systematic traffic management. It suggested a short-term improvement plan to be implemented from 2006-2011, medium-term plan from 2011-2016 and long-term improvement plan from 2016-2031 to the GMC. It asked the GMC and the police to prepare a Traffic Management Plan (TMP), reorganise on-street parking and improve the central area road network. Rolling out a Bus-based Mass Rapid Transport System (BRTS) was suggested to meet the future needs of the city.

Source: Hindu Times