Roads Jammed, Rules Flouted: New DCP Faces Traffic Crisis

Nagpur: As the city's new DCP (Traffic) Aditya Mirkhelkar takes charge, he inherits a traffic system under increasing strain from rising vehicular numbers, infrastructure-related disruptions, illegal parking and poor road discipline. With traffic congestion becoming a daily reality across several major corridors and market areas, experts believe the city will require a multi-pronged approach to tackle its growing mobility challenges.The pressure on Nagpur's road network has intensified in recent years due to a sharp rise in vehicle registrations. According to official data, the combined vehicle population registered under the Urban, East and Rural Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) has crossed 33 lakh. Among the most congested stretches is Wardha Road, one of Nagpur's busiest arterial corridors. During peak morning hours, long queues of vehicles are routinely seen near Airport Square, often extending over the double-decker flyover. Similar congestion is witnessed at Ajni Square during evening rush hours, while Kriplani Square, Rahate Colony and Lokmat Square regularly experience long traffic snarls.Several locations, including Sitabuldi Square, Sadar, RBI Square, LIC Square, Railway Station Road, Cotton Market and Rani Jhansi Square, continue to face traffic congestion throughout the day. Illegal parking, roadside encroachments, and the unregulated movement of autorickshaws and e-rickshaws are among the major factors contributing to the problem.Traffic chaos is also a regular feature in older and densely populated localities such as Mahal, Itwari, Jaripatka and Pachpaoli, where narrow roads, commercial activity and roadside parking significantly affect vehicular movement. Encroached footpaths and vehicles parked on roads have emerged as a major concern in areas including Mahal, IT Park Road, Sitabuldi, Wardhaman Nagar, Lakadganj and Besa.Adding to the challenges are several ongoing infrastructure projects across the city. Flyover works, road concretisation projects and sewage line installations have resulted in diversions and reduced carriageway widths at multiple locations. Areas in Central Nagpur, Sakkardara, Bada Taj Bagh, Ghat Road, Hingna, East Nagpur and several internal roads are witnessing regular traffic congestion due to construction activity.Apart from congestion, enforcement-related issues such as wrong-side driving, triple-seat riding, signal violations, and inadequate adherence to traffic regulations continue to pose safety concerns. Experts believe that conventional traffic management measures alone may not be sufficient to address the scale of the problem. They advocate innovative traffic engineering solutions, stricter enforcement, better coordination of infrastructure works, and greater public participation to improve traffic conditions.