Gurugram, Oct 29 (PTI) Some Gurugram residents on Thursday staged a protest against the proposed plan to convert Galleria Market and Vyapar Kendra roads into two-way stretches after 11 years of one-way traffic, alleging that the road dividers being installed are disrupting traffic movement and restricting access to residential sectors.
Residents of Sectors 43 and 27, and Sushant Lok Phase-1 raised slogans against the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and traffic police, demanding that they open the entry routes to their societies, ensure better traffic management, and review the proposed arrangement.
Residents said traffic movement had become increasingly chaotic following the installation of dividers, with confusion over one-way and two-way movements.
"Commuters are taking up to an hour to cover around one-kilometer stretch between Millennium City Centre and Sectors 27 and 43. The disruption is affecting daily commuters, schoolchildren and residents", they added.
After getting information, SHOs of Sector 29 and Sushant Lok-1 police stations reached the site and tried to pacify the residents, assuring them that their concerns would be conveyed and efforts made to address the issue.
Residents also questioned the functioning of GMDA executive engineer Amit Godara, who is overseeing the project.
Sector 43 RWA representatives alleged that repeated attempts to contact him had gone unanswered.
They further claimed that officials had not visited the spot to assess the ground situation, saying that traffic planning should be based on on-site inspections and consultations with affected communities.
Sector 43 residents, Anand Malhotra and Anil Nagpal, stressed the need for dialogue with residents and practical solutions instead of changes that create fresh bottlenecks.
Sector 43 RWA general secretary Narendra Mehta said the area already witnesses heavy traffic due to Vyapar Kendra Market, Galleria Market, major builder projects and group housing societies.
He said implementing a two-way traffic arrangement without adequately assessing traffic volumes and local requirements could worsen congestion rather than ease it.
Sector 43 RWA president Rajkumar Yadav said the installation of dividers had affected residents' daily movement, particularly access to the sector.
He said reaching Golf Course Road and Vyapar Kendra had become difficult, adding that traffic improvement measures should not leave residents struggling to enter or exit their own sectors.
Akshay Tripathi, president of the D-Block RWA of Sushant Lok-1, said there was no need to disturb the traffic arrangement that had been in place for the past 11 years. He called for clear traffic instructions, reopening of sector entry routes and deployment of traffic personnel at key points.
Residents also flagged persistent congestion outside Shri Ram School on Galleria Road, claiming that traffic queues stretch for two to three hours in the afternoon.
They attributed the problem partly to unregulated roadside parking, which reduces the available carriageway, and demanded a permanent solution.
Ward 22 councillor Vikas Yadav said that following Thursday's protest, traffic police and GMDA officials had contacted the protesters and offered to hold a meeting.
He said the administration should take the issue seriously and work with all stakeholders to find a workable solution without disrupting residents' daily lives. The protesters demanded that the authorities clarify the proposed traffic plan and hold consultations with RWAs, GMDA officials and traffic police before finalising the arrangement.
They said the objective of traffic management should be to reduce congestion, not make commuting more difficult for thousands of residents.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)