Why has the underpass at Rajiv Chowk become a danger zone?
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Why has the underpass at Rajiv Chowk become a danger zone?

Poor signages, multiple lanes and absence of median strips are confusing commuters.

 

Why has the underpass at Rajiv Chowk become a danger zone?

On January 22, a bidirectional underpass had opened at Rajiv Chowk, thereby removing several diversions and route blockages on the junction. However, the engineering changes that were meant to streamline traffic movement have left commuters confused instead. This can be attributed to poorly placed signages and badly demarcated lanes.

Commuters claim that until they get very close to the underpass, they are unable to decipher where exactly it leads. In addition, in the absence of median strips, lanes, too, aren’t clearly demarcated. Moreover, changes incorporated every alternate day are adding to the confusion at the junction. For instance, cones are being installed at new locations.

The underpass was opened for assisting commuters travelling from Civil Lines towards Sohna Road, and vice versa. Through this underpass commuters travelling from Sohna Road should have reached the district courts, mini secretariat and Civil Lines with greater ease by bypassing the congestion at the junction. However, this did not happen. Commuters are claiming that the placement of signages before the entrance of the underpass is proving to be a major obstacle.

“It took me a few days initially to get a grip on the places, which the underpass leads to. As commuters approach the underpass at a high speed, they often miss the signages. Authorities need to relocate the signages. These should be at least 40-50 m prior to the underpass, instead of being right at the entrance,” said Bhanu Sharma, a resident of Civil Lines.

Commuters also attribute the prevailing confusion to the absence of median strips. At the junction, below the overhead flyover, unacquainted commuters barely fall short of colliding with the commuters coming from the opposite direction.

“Several commuters who aren’t aware of the directions leading towards Civil Lines, converge with traffic that is coming from Civil Lines [and heading towards New Delhi] at the junction. This not only creates an artificial blockage but also endangers the lives of commuters,” Anand Rungta, a resident of Sector 47, said.