Car pool is the most effective means of handling the burgeoning traffic on city roads, feels Prof Harish Bhatia, a transportation consultant and former teacher at Punjab Engineering College.

However, Neha Malhotra, an HR manager, says: “The city should go in for the Singapore model of heavy taxes on every subsequent purchase of car by an individual.”

Professor Bhatia had a few years ago submitted a project on “Integrated Bus Service” in the city. He argues that metro does not suit the current requirements of the city because of a smaller area span. The current bus service on the grid in the city is lopsided and does not serve the purpose.

Dr Gurinder Bhatia, a chest specialist, says: “An average household has more than one vehicle in the city. The numbers are increasing every day. If the matter is left unaddressed, traffic may soon be the biggest problem for city commuters.”

Pradeep Chhabra, a former Mayor, says: “The metro project is huge and is likely to take at least 10 years before completion. The administration will have to work out solutions to handle the burgeoning traffic before that happens. One big respite for commuters will be underpasses planned at different road junctions all over the city.

Professor Bhatia adds: “The city will have to improve connectivity with adjoining Panchkula. At the moment, the only passage through the Madhya Marg is too narrow and leads to unnecessary snarl-ups.”

Mini buses on internal roads of sectors, which may connect to the bus service on the main grid, are the only viable option, he suggests.

Jagsher Singh, a car driver, feels: “One immediate respite that drivers expect on city roads is an integrated light system on traffic signals. It is not uniform on all roads. Our experience, even while travelling in bigger cities, shows that driving at an average speed of 40 km per hour between traffic signals gives a free passage at the next signal. There seems to be a lack of coordination between subsequent traffic signals in the city.”

Parking problem is adding to crowding of roads, particularly in the southern sectors.

“The city design as envisaged in the master plan went out of hand during the later stages. The city was planned only for a population of around five lakh. In the same direction, houses in the northern sectors are big and have ample space for parking while a number of areas in the southern sectors have plenty of cars but no parking space at all.”

Source: The Tribune