Sales tax barrier adds to traffic woes

Widening of Highway
Sales tax barrier adds to traffic woes
Rajiv Bhatia


Zirakpur, November 5
The multi-crore project of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to widen the Ambala-Zirakpur national highway is of no help to motorists plying on the road, all thanks to the Punjab Sales Tax authorities.

Considering the consequences, tax barrier has been shifted on the Zirakpur-Chandigarh highway near Chandigarh. Besides parking of goods’ trucks, which is hampering the flow of traffic, traffic jams are a usual affair here.

The blockage on the road also causes minor accidents. On October 31, as many as 40 students of DAV School, Malout district, Muktsar, had a narrow escape when their bus collided with an Indica at the sale tax barrier. Though there was no injury, the car was damaged from one side.

A survey of the area reveals long queues of trucks waiting to get their documents checked. In the absence of streetlights, chances of road mishaps have also increased during the night.

According to information, earlier, the sale tax barrier at Zirakpur-Ambala highway near Singhpura village was causing traffic due to shortage of parking space. The barrier has also led to the loss of many lives in road accidents. The concerned department had shifted the barrier to Zirakpur-Chandigarh. The department claimed that there was enough space for parking of vehicles, but the parking problem was not solved, as a result trucks along with other vehicles were parked on the roadside.

Anand Sharma, a resident of Ambala, said it was difficult to drive on this track during night, as there was no signboard indicating about the sale tax barrier.

The concerned department must install blinkers to indicate commuters about the sale tax barrier, he added.

“In absence of traffic police, truck drivers park their trucks as per their wish,” said Varun Sharma, a resident of Zirakpur.

Talking to The Tribune, truck drivers asserted that they were also facing parking problems, but they have no option except to park their trucks on the roadside.

DSP Dera Bassi JS Khaira said the sale tax barrier was causing problem in the smooth flow of traffic during VIP duty. He said it was a serious issue and sale tax barrier must be shifted to some open space. “We have also written to SSP Mohali,” he added.

SDM Dera Bassi Punit Goyal said they were getting several complaints. “We have forwarded the complaints to higher authorities,” he said.