The death of a 30-year-old scooter rider, allegedly crushed by a speeding sand-laden tipper truck on Sultanwind Road, has once again brought the spotlight on the unchecked movement of heavy commercial vehicles within the city despite restrictions on their daytime entry.
Although the district administration has imposed restrictions on the movement of heavy vehicles, including trucks, tippers, dumpers and buses, during the peak daytime hours to ease congestion and reduce accidents, residents allege that such vehicles continue to ply freely on busy city roads with little fear of enforcement.
Friday’s accident, in which Gursimran Singh (30), a resident of Drumma Wala Bazaar, was run over by a sand-laden tipper, has renewed concerns over the implementation of these restrictions.
The victim’s grieving family alleged that stricter enforcement against violators could have prevented the tragedy. They questioned why heavy vehicles continue to enter densely populated areas during prohibited hours despite repeated accidents.
Since January last year, nearly half a dozen fatal accidents involving heavy vehicles have been reported in the city. Yet, residents say neither the district administration nor the police have taken adequate steps to ensure strict compliance with the restrictions. Many blame the influential transport lobby for the lack of effective enforcement, irrespective of the party in power.
Bhagwant Singh, a resident of Sultanwind Road, said overloaded vehicles carrying sand, construction material and other goods are a common sight on Sultanwind Road and the adjoining 100 Feet Road throughout the day.
“The situation is no different on Tarn Taran Road, Chheharta Road and several other major stretches of the city,” he said.
Ajit Singh, another resident, said the presence of heavy vehicles on narrow urban roads not only leads to frequent traffic congestion but also poses a constant threat to two-wheeler riders, cyclists and pedestrians. He alleged that many such vehicles are driven at high speed despite heavy traffic.
“Frankly speaking, CCTV camera-based traffic monitoring has failed to improve the city’s traffic scenario. Rules continue to be flouted with impunity. Most of the time, only two-wheeler riders or vehicles from other states are penalised to meet enforcement targets,” alleged Ravinder Sharma, a retired government employee.
Traffic experts said restrictions on heavy vehicles were introduced to segregate oversized and slow-moving vehicles from peak-hour traffic and minimise the risk of accidents. However, weak enforcement has undermined the objective of these orders.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Amandeep Kaur said action was being taken against vehicles found violating traffic rules whenever they were detected. She said the investigation into Friday’s fatal accident was in progress and legal action would be initiated against the driver if negligence was established.
She added that the police would ensure stricter enforcement of restrictions on the entry of heavy vehicles into the city.
