Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, Mar 16: With a view to deal with the ever increasing traffic congestion in Leh town, the District Administration today chalked out a comprehensive traffic plan in a meeting chaired by the District Magistrate, Saugat Biswas.
District Leh has about 14000 vehicles and figure swells to about 17,000 during the tourist season. Being an old town the roads, lanes and by-lanes are narrow, and the present infrastructure lacks adequate parking spaces.
After a detailed review of the traffic situation with analysis of both satellite imagery and on-spot assessment of road and parking conditions several decisions were taken to regulate traffic. It was decided that on various route circuits in the town the traffic henceforth will ply only one way. The routes so decided will be notified by the traffic police in advance for comfort of the general public.
Various new parking spaces have been identified where vehicles of shoppers, shopkeepers, as well as residents will be parked. Parking places have been identified at Inter City Bus Terminal, Dambochan for inbound commercial taxis from outside Leh district. Commercial vehicles coming in from Manali side will be parked at the Ice Hockey ground opposite council complex.
For load carriers parking at Shak-Shalingu has been earmarked. A proper parking plan has also been worked out for the main market area in Leh town, as it is the most congested area, and traffic congestion severely disturbs the tourists as well as the inhabitants of the area.
It was decided that the Administrator, Municipality Dr. Zahida Bano will administer all the parking places and put adequate manpower. In commercially viable private parties will be encouraged to manage the parking places. The respective Engineers of PWD will do the necessary face-lifting of various roads and repair them within a period of fifteen days, before the onset of the tourist season.
The SSP, Leh, Dr. Sunil Gupta will ensure that the management of traffic is taken up in a phased manner and the work related to management of traffic will be completed steadily in a period of one month. He informed the District Magistrate about the shortfall in police personnel and infrastructure with the Police Department for the best possible management of the traffic.
The meeting was attended by Assistant Commissioner Ghulam Mohammad, Additional SP, Leh T. Gyalpo, Executive Engineers R&B, Leh, Ghulam Nabi and Tsering Angchuk, ARTO, Leh, Yasir Arafat, DSP, Telecom/Wireless Akhtar Khan and Traffic Inspector Tsewang Namgyal of District Police, Leh etc.
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