LUDHIANA: Frequent traffic jams have become a regular feature on the city roads these days. Ludhiana is one of the biggest cities in Punjab and owing to the increasing number of vehicles, the traffic situation in the city has got worse now. Prominent junctions like Samrala Chowk, Dholewal Chowk, Gill Chowk and Jagraon Bridge are among the most affected. Daily commuters have become the victims of long traffic snarls, which not only leads to wastage of time and fuel but also poses health risks to the residents.Among the many reasons that cause congestion are broken roads, careless driving, disobeying traffic rules and improper parking.The city residents opine that the problem can be overcome if more number of traffic personnel are deployed on these important junctions and on all major roads of the city. They said that the traffic police needs to adopt a ‘zero tolerance policy’, especially at the major junctions.Amanpreet Singh Madhok, a resident of Urban Estate, Dugri, said, “The world is a busy place now and no one has the patience to wait at traffic signals. Everyone wants to go first. The main reason behind the chaotic traffic situation is the high volume of vehicles plying on roads daily. To cope with the problem, the authorities should deploy more cops to control the in the rush lanes.”“The snarls outside the schools are the worst. Thus, the authorities must build more overpasses to ease the flow of traffic, besides stationing more traffic police personnel near schools and at the roundabouts for effective management and safety of residents, especially children,” said Jappy Singh, a resident of Pink Vihar.Ravijot Singh has seen the worst traffic jams on Samrala Chowk while entering and exiting the city. “Every driver tries to make his way through the traffic using improper methods, leading to jams that last for hours in the morning and evening. The authorities should get the construction work completed soon to avoid inconvenience.”With an array of vehicles travelling in a single lane, Samrala Chowk gets choked in the evening. “Many a times, congestion is seen at the junctions with disfunctional traffic lights. In these cases, the intervention of traffic personnel is only solution,” said Simranjeet Singh of Salem Tabri.

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