Ahead of student polls, Panjab University sees traffic chaos
The issue is most severe at gate number 3, which faces the South Campus, where stopping one car for checking blocks the entire lane and causes long jams
As the Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) polls closer, SUVs with party stickers have begun causing traffic chaos on campus roads. Polling is set to take place on September 5.
This, paired with security checks at gates, is leading to traffic congestion during peak hours. The issue is most severe at gate number 3, which faces the South Campus, where stopping one car for checking blocks the entire lane and causes long jams.
PU has two more gates. Gate number 1 which faces PGIMER is closed in the evening, and Gate Number 2 which faces Sector 15, which sees the most traffic, with over 1,500 vehicles passing this gate in a day.
On a recent long weekend, National Students Union of India (NSUI) attempted to enter the varsity from gate number three with vehicles bearing party stickers. They argued that the handmade stickers complied with Lyngdoh Committee guidelines, but were still stopped.
Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) had also recently posted a video of a vehicle rally featuring big SUVs.
Dean Students’ Welfare (DSW) professor Amit Chauhan said, “No stickers are allowed on any vehicles as they are in violation of the Motor Vehicles Act. In fact, even car rallies are not allowed, and we will not allow such activity on campus from Tuesday.”
Parties have been using SUVs as a show of strength before polls, with Mahindra Thar and Toyota Fortuner becoming popular choices.
This trend had seen a dip after Students For Society (SFS) won the PUCSC president seat in 2018, only to recently gain traction again.
Entry banned for vehicles with stickers from today
To address the issue, no vehicles with party stickers will be allowed inside PU from Tuesday. The DSW said, “To keep vehicle rallies from happening, we will ensure that the stickers are removed, even for students of the varsity who can bring their vehicles inside the campus. Without stickers, parties will also have no motivation to hold vehicle rallies on campus.”
To alleviate the congestion at Gate Number 3, a security guard posted here said that a second gate should be constructed with one just being used for entry and the other for exit.
UT senior superintendent of police (SSP, Traffic) remained unavailable for comments. Police officials of the Sector 11 police station said that they were doing what they can and some inconvenience is unexpected as the vehicles that enter are checked to ensure weapons or other banned substances aren’t brought into the campus.
Fake stickers found
Meanwhile, PU security staff also unearthed fake stickers being used by some outsiders which they paste on their vehicles to get entry into the varsity. Any vehicle caught with fake stickers will be handed over to the police and will be investigated for offences like trespassing and forgery. This year, around 25 such stickers have already been found by the security while last year also over 50 such stickers were found.
Traffic congestion has been an issue for PU for a long time and was also pointed out to the varsity during the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) visit last year. A traffic management committee had been constituted after this which has shared recommendations, including separate parkings for outsiders and the opening of a fourth gate in PU near University institute of Legal Studies but they are yet to be approved by the PU senate.
Speaking about the checking, chief of university security Vikram Singh said, “We have started shifting the nakas a bit far from the gates to avoid traffic congestion. However, to manage traffic effectively we need more manpower. Around 2-3 more security guards are needed at each gate for each shift so that traffic can also be managed while we ensure that all vehicles are checked properly. “