Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], January 20 : As part of the observance of National Road Safety Month, the Chandigarh Traffic Police on Tuesday organised a Road Safety Dialogue-cum-Workshop at the UT Guest House here, on the theme "Safe System Approach".
Chandigarh Director General of Police (DGP) Sagarpreet Hooda graced the closing ceremony as the Chief Guest, while Pushpendra Kumar, Inspector General of Police, Chandigarh, attended the opening session as the Guest of Honour.
The workshop was attended by traffic and road safety experts, officers from the UT Engineering Department, Municipal Corporation Chandigarh, Architecture Department, and senior officers of the Chandigarh Police.
The objective was to promote a holistic, evidence-based approach to road safety, with a focus on safer road design, reduced crash severity, and enhanced protection for vulnerable road users.
Under the Safe System Approach, the Chandigarh Traffic Police identified five major traffic-prone and congestion-sensitive road stretches for targeted interventions to improve mobility, reduce congestion and minimise road fatalities.
These stretches include Zirakpur Barrier towards Hallo Majra Light Point on NH-5, Hallo Majra Light Point towards Tribune Chowk on NH-5, Housing Board Light Point towards Transport Light Point, Mullanpur Barrier towards Sector 25/38 Light Point, and PGI Chowk towards Mullanpur Barrier.
To address these stretches, five dedicated teams were constituted, comprising traffic experts, representatives from the UT Engineering Department, the Architecture Department, and the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh, along with the concerned DSPs and Traffic Inspectors of the Chandigarh Traffic Police.
The teams conducted detailed field surveys to assess on-ground conditions, traffic flow patterns, road design issues, pedestrian safety concerns and enforcement challenges.
Based on the field surveys, the observations and recommendations will be compiled into a detailed report and forwarded to the concerned departments for necessary rectification and implementation.
Key recommendations include the development of a flyover or elevated road from 66 KV Junction Chowk to Mullanpur Chowk, a new connectivity road from Garcha Turn Light Point straight towards Panchkula Sectors 17 and 18, and another connectivity road from Colony No. 4 Light Point towards Village Daria and Panchkula.
The recommendations also include construction of underbridges at Hallo Majra Light Point and Poultry Farm Chowk to ensure pedestrian safety, development of dedicated cycle tracks on both sides from Airport Light Point to Tribune Chowk, construction of an underpass near Government High School, Sarangpur, opposite the Botanical Garden, and construction of an underpass near PGI and Panjab University.
Considering the city's heritage status, the feasibility of constructing underpasses at locations such as Hallo Majra, Poultry Farm Chowk on Dakshin Marg, the road dividing PGI and Panjab University on Madhya Marg, and near Government High School, Sarangpur, opposite the Botanical Garden, will also be explored.
The Chandigarh Traffic Police reiterated that road safety is a shared responsibility and emphasised the need for coordinated efforts among all stakeholder departments to ensure the timely implementation of the recommendations.
The initiative reflects the commitment of the Chandigarh Traffic Police to adopting global best practices under the Safe System Approach to make city roads safer, more efficient and people-centric.