CHANDIGARH: The share of private vehicles on major junctions varies from 79% to 90% while that of buses from .4% to 2.6%, according to an interim report of the Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES).
The findings are a clear reflection on how the city lacks a strong public transport and people prefer to use their own cars and motorcycles — the city has one of the highest number of vehicles per head in the country.
“The private vehicles’ share is very high and varies from 79% to 90%. Share of buses is very low at 0.4%-2.6% and IPT (intermediate public transport) is at 9%,” said the report. “The highest public transport and IPT share is at 14.3%”. Slow moving traffic share is at an average of 4%,” it added.The report highlighted that maximum traffic was at the transport chowk, Sector 26, with 1,39,996 vehicles crossing daily followed by Sector 20 gurdwara chowk at 1,33,404 vehicles and Sector 29-31-Industrial Area junction at 1,33,053 vehicles.
The RITES — allotted the study to prepare a comprehensive mobility plan for the Tricity — submitted the interim report in June and presented before a committee headed by UT adviser Dharam Pal last week. Short-term parking management measures, policy interventions and enforcement were proposed during the presentation. A proposal for non-motorised transport and pedestrian infrastructure and facilities were also presented.
In the first week of March, the administration had approved the inception report by RITES.
