NEW DELHI: Following huge public outrage over monster traffic jams in Gurgaon and Faridabad, the Haryana government said on Sunday it was considering setting up a 24x7 traffic management centre for the two cities. This will monitor traffic conditions and control vehicle flow. It will also coordinate with relevant departments.

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal said his government would implement a traffic management plan prepared by experts. This would include setting up a traffic management centre, establishing traffic engineering wings and increasing manpower in traffic police departments. He was addressing officials from the two districts at a workshop on 'Capacity Building for Traffic Management in Gurgaon and Faridabad' at the College of Traffic Management.

Responding to the shortage of manpower in traffic police wings in the two cities, Monohar Lal said his government would get part-time employees and also deploy home guards. He added the process of recruiting 7,000 constables had started while the vacancy was about 15,000.

Traffic safety expert Rohit Baluja, who has been tasked to prepare the plan, said the government should treat Gurgaon and Faridabad as one zone while finding solutions to growing congestion.

Pointing out that there would be more public outrage if immediate measures were not taken to address traffic congestion, the chief minister said his government would implement the plans quickly. Though he was non-committal about the timeline, he said, "Some measures may take one year while others may take two years. But we will address it systematically. The last government issued 1,100 licences for land development in a haphazard manner without considering the impact this will have on traffic and infrastructure. You all know there may have been private interest behind such haste in issuing licences. We have issued only 25 licences in the past two years."

On the repeated submerging of Hero Honda Chowk on NH-8 and other parts of Gurgaon, Manohar Lal said water flow stopped as natural drains were blocked. "We are talking to people in Khandsa village so that we get enough land to expand the drain. If that does not work out, we have other options," the CM said.

SOURCE: The Times of India