Noida: Top-of-the-line infrastructure and amenities is bringing homebuyers to Noida, but the state the traffic police and citizens’ utter disregard for rules have made its roads chaotic and dangerous.

It is almost impossible to spot a traffic policeman when you are stuck in traffic. Noida residents complain that even when one makes an emergency call, the response time of the Noida traffic police is extremely poor.

The grim reality is that Noida has only 150 traffic police personnel, out of which only 40 policemen who are empowered to issue tickets and fine violators. Gautam Buddha Nagar stretches across 1,442 square km.

Where are the cops?

Noida boasts of some of the best roads in the country. Most of the sectors have wide roads, neat service lanes and even access to high-speed expressways, but its arterial roads remain chock-a-block most of the time. The cause of maddening traffic is because of multiple reasons.

However, the biggest factor is the extreme shortage of traffic policemen. There are only close to 150 traffic police personnel who are assisted by 100 home guards and 50 traffic marshals. These men have to take care of 315 traffic intersections in the districts out of which 125 have traffic lights. So, the number of traffic men is so low that not even one can be deputed at all intersections.

The Noida police have made a demand for close to 600 traffic policemen to the state government but this has remained pending for a long time.

Roads to hell

It is not the only unavailability of traffic cop which is causing the jam, but it is extremely tough to commute on the streets of Noida due to motorists driving on the wrong side, raging on the road and reckless driving by auto rickshaw drivers.

Disregard for traffic rules, especially by bus, auto and e-rickshaw drivers, have made driving extremely tough as they operate haphazardly and scrape through tight spaces to get ahead. Public transport vehicles have a nexus, and to get more passengers, they stop or park their vehicle in the middle of the road blocking the path for others.

Similarly, ganging up of autos and e-rickshaws on roadsides creates bottlenecks around busy junctions including Metro stations and malls.

Missing cops also encourage motorists to opt for driving in the wrong direction to save time and fuel. The roads are infested with motorists speeding on wrong lanes to save time and distance. The motorists in Noida do not have the basic consideration for rules, and the few traffic cops on roads further encourage them to break them.

Park where you want

Despite wide roads, the city lacks parking lots, so people are forced to park their vehicles on the road which has also given a boost to parking mafia which is almost active in all the popular areas of the city. Illegally parked vehicles at extremely busy junctions like Sector 18, Sector 2, Sector 6, Rajnigandha Chowk, Noida City Centre metro staion, Sector 12-22 and Labour Chowk to name a few causes traffic snarls especially during peak hours.