Kisan Mela at PAU creates traffic chaos on Ferozepur Road

Traffic on the busy Ferozepur Road moved at snail’s pace throughout the day owing to the two-day Kisan Mela and Pashu Palan Mela that started at Punjab Agricultural University and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University on Thursday. Both the varsities are located on the same road.

The traffic jam intensified during the afternoon hours as a large number of farmers brought tractors and trucks to take part in the fair. Gates 1 and 2 were chock-a-block with people who were leaving the fair at the same time.

However, traffic police deployed at various points failed to streamline the growing number of vehicles on the road.

Traffic cops told HT that many commuters were flouting traffic rules as they jumped red lights and did not mind overtaking to get ahead in the traffic jam.

“During our morning meeting, we were particular to ensure that no traffic snarls happen on this road but the rush for the fair made our task extremely difficult. It’s not easy to manage all kinds of vehicles, especially the big ones. On top of that, commuters were impatient and did not give two hoots about traffic rules,” said a cop, requesting anonymity.

Commuters, on the other hand, complained that whenever such fairs were organised by these universities, traffic on this road became unmanageable and difficult to navigate through.

Buses headed to Moga, Bathinda, Faridkot, Patti and other towns and villages were also stuck for hours and passengers criticised traffic police and the universities for not making better plans to manage the traffic flow on such busy days.

“It is sad that every time these universities organise these fairs, traffic gets stuck on this road. Why can’t traffic police along with universities come out with a better plan to ensure smooth flow of traffic? There are not enough cops on the road to manage the large number of vehicles. Organisers should encourage farmers to use other gates on DMCH Road,” said Harmeet Singh, a local bus driver.