Traffic flow from Noida’s Sector 71 to NH24 hit due to potholes, illegal parking

Commuters, especially office goers, have been facing a tough time negotiating the traffic on Road 6 that stretches from Sector 71 intersection to national highway (NH) 24. The road is potholed at several places and has vehicles parked haphazardly, encroaching on road space. Those residing in nearby areas such as sectors 61 and 62 claim to have taken up the matter with the authorities many a times, but to no avail.

The five-kilometre road, which was already congested due to construction work on the Noida-Greater Noida metro corridor, is damaged at various places.

On an average, this link caters to 10,000 commuters daily, mostly working in offices in sectors 61, 62, 63 and 64. Commuters have alleged that the road gets damaged very frequently. They also said the main reason for traffic congestion is haphazard parking of auto rickshaws, cars and trucks that ferry construction material for the metro stations and the underpass project near Uflex intersection in Sector 60.

During peak hours, vehicles get stuck for anywhere between 10 and 30 minutes and there is little presence of traffic police to manage traffic.

“People are always in a rush during peak hours and we do not see any traffic police personnel on this road. Four metro stations are being constructed here and there are four U-turns to different sectors, but no one does anything to manage traffic,” said Amit Bisht, a commuter.

The road surface on stretches near the Sector 60 police post, Mamura village U turn and Shatabdi Rail Vihar too is in a bad shape, leading to traffic jams. The potholes are deep enough to damage vehicles and injure pedestrians, but repairs are yet to be started.

The traffic signals near sectors 61 and 62 are also out of order. However, superintendent of police (traffic), Prabal Pratap Singh, said, “The traffic lights on this route are functional. Sometimes they don’t work due to technical faults, but we immediately fix the problem. We will ensure that police is present, but people too should park their vehicles responsibly. We have started a drive and vehicles parked wrongly are being towed away. We will ensure strict action on this road also.”

In January alone, five minor accidents believed to have been caused due to the poor roads were reported from this stretch. Police officials said the situation has become especially dangerous for two-wheeler riders.

Apart from traffic snarls, residents said the damaged roads are also leading to health problems due to the dust arising from loose soil.

“The construction areas are not fully covered and roads are also in a shambles, giving rise to dust. It is affecting the health of senior citizens. Noida authority should address the problem on priority,” said C Bhatnagar of Sector 62.