Pipula Road Junction turns hazardous zone

Vijayawada: Thousands of people staying at Ajith Singh Nagar, Prakash Nagar, Payakapurm and other nearby areas are living with fear due to passing of thousands of heavy vehicles along the Inner Ring Road which connects two national highways. The existing IRR is not sufficient to cater to the needs of highway traffic. Pipula Road Junction became hazardous spot due to increasing traffic.

Highlights:

• More than 20,000 heavy vehicles pass daily amidst residential areas
• Residents of Ajit Singh Nagar, Prakash Nagar, Payakapurm and other nearby areas are living with fear as they are unable to cross the road due to passing of heavy vehicles
• Local police are not taking measures to regulate the traffic, says K Narasimha Rao, a resident of Payakapuram.

All the heavy vehicles travelling between Hyderabad-Kolkata and Hyderabad-Chennai are diverted from Gollapudi Y Junction to reach Ramavarappadu Ring Road. Thousands of vehicles pass through Ajit Singh Nagar, Payakapuram, Prakash Nagar and Kandrika creating a panic to the thousands of citizens.

Due to ongoing Durga temple flyover construction works, traffic diverted via Pipula Road Junction and Payakapuram for the last one year. Since then, a large number of residents are suffering due to traffic.

These colonies are located on Vijayawada-Nuzvid state highway which is one of the busiest roads connected to Vijayawada city.

Residents living on the outskirts of the city at Nunna, Kandrika, and other areas, too, are facing many hardships due to increasing traffic and passing of heavy vehicles via city. They are not able to reach within the stipulated time due to passing of heavy vehicles and traffic congestion.

A large number of workers, school children, employees and others suffering as they are stranded in the traffic though Vijayawada-Nuzvid highway is not a national highway, but national highway traffic was being diverted via this road.

Local police are not taking measures to regulate the traffic. City traffic police were not seen on the road whenever traffic jam take place, said K Narasimha Rao, a resident of Payakapuram. “Daily we are facing a lot of troubles due to heavy vehicles and we are unable to cross the road at any time.

” Moreover, Prakash Nagar Centre is congested due to existing shops. Dozens of shops are doing brisk business from morning to evening and a large number of two wheelers are also parked causing further inconvenience to the commuters. Local residents are asking the police to take measures to regulate the traffic and appoint traffic constables at least during the peak hours of traffic. Removal of encroachments on Vijayawada-Nuzvid state highway could reduce the problem to some extent.

By Dasari Srinivasa Rao