Leh, March 13: A meeting to deliberate on the traffic management planning of Leh town was chaired by the Divisional Commissioner, Ladakh, Saugat Biswas, with participation of senior officers related with traffic management and town planning.

Senior Superintendent Police, Leh, Rajiv Pandey and SP Traffic Rafiq Giri made a detailed presentation on the proposed plan for traffic decongestion, smooth traffic flow and pedestrian movement in Leh town. He described the results of the preliminary studies conducted to identify the problem areas in traffic management in Ladakh. Issues such as flow of vehicular traffic at Leh Gate, vehicles per hour at various points, survey of pedestrian movement at various points, interventions needed at Leh gate & various important cross sections and full-time pedestrian street strategy. He apprised the Divisional Commissioner of the surveys conducted by them to understand the current scenario of the traffic in Leh town.

The other matters discussed in the meeting included proposal to extend the mall road, one-way traffic rings, parking of vehicles at polo ground, shifting of long-route and taxis from the existing bus-stand to new parking places, multi-level parking at various identified locations, car parking at shakshaling, shifting of on-road parking sites from main market to polo ground, bypassing Army/CAPD convoy through GH Road to Khardung La and improving the public transport system. The current scenario of the public transport system, the proposed mobility/public transport plan and long-term intervention needed for Leh town were also discussed in the meeting. Strategy for introducing e-carts to ferry people with limited mobility in pedestrian zones, plying e-busses in internal roads of Leh town and new bus routes were discussed in the meeting.

Divisional Commissioner Saugat Biswas impressed upon the officers to expedite work on parking area at Shakshaling and finalise the route, shifting taxis to Bomb Garh, operating Mazda in peripheral areas, shifting parking areas and installation of traffic lights and construction of escalator foot bridges over difficult cross sections.

Biswas urged the DC Leh Shrikant Suse to constitute smaller working groups comprising experts from various departments for identification and finalization of alternate by-pass routes at various locations of Leh town. The committee members would visit all the sites proposed in the plan and discuss the technicalities. 

The DIG Ladakh Bhimsen Tuti, suggested that various proposals of erecting soft dividers on various roads may be tried out by the traffic police to ensure smooth traffic flow at various cross sections.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner, Leh, Shrikant Balasaheb Suse; Deputy Inspector General, Ladakh Range, BS Tuti; SSP, Leh, Rajiv Pandey; Director, ULB Ladakh, Dr  Zahida Bano; Regional Transport Officer, Ladakh, Tsering Paldan and Assistant Director Tourism, Leh, Jigmet Namgyal.