Ludhiana: Pakhowal road commuters see red over traffic snarls
The high number of marriage palaces and banquet halls along Pakhowal Road, Ludhiana, has led to a surge in vehicles, especially during peak hours
Pakhowal Road has become a major traffic bottleneck during the evening hours, with commuters facing long delays and severe congestion, city residents have said. The stretch from Phullanwal Chowk to Dadd village is particularly affected, as heavy traffic volume amid the ongoing wedding season and poor traffic management have made daily commuting a nightmare, they said.
The high number of marriage palaces and banquet halls along Pakhowal Road has led to a surge in vehicles, especially during peak hours. As wedding processions and guest vehicles occupy road space, commuters are left stuck in long traffic jams.
Sukhdev Singh, a daily commuter, said, “It has become impossible to drive on Pakhowal Road in the evening hours. Cars, buses and even wedding processions block the road, leading to total chaos. Sometimes, we are stuck for over an hour.”
Another commuter, Rajiv Sharma, said, “There is no proper traffic management. People cross the traffic signals and there is no traffic cop deployed over there. The situation gets worse near the marriage palaces, where there are no designated parking spaces.”
Despite repeated complaints from commuters, traffic police deployment in the area remains inadequate. With no officers to regulate the movement of vehicles, the situation quickly worsens, especially during peak wedding hours.
Sunita Malhotra, a resident of Phullanwal, shared her ordeal, “I have to cross this road every evening and it has become a daily struggle. The traffic police should deploy teams here to manage the rush, especially during the wedding season.”
Commuters say the traffic police should deploy additional personnel on this stretch. Many suggested that the authorities should restrict roadside parking near banquet halls and create alternate routes for wedding traffic.
Narinder Singh, a commuter, said, “I have waited for around two hours on this road as the traffic was stuck at Phullanwal Chowk due to which people were also yelling at each other. I request the police officials to manage this menace which leads to frequent quarrels on a regular basis, especially on weekends.”
ADCP Gurpreet Kaur Purewal said, “I will direct the station house officers to direct the palaces and resort owners to maintain the traffic outside their premises. I have already deployed the traffic team on these roads to streamline traffic.”
