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 Sitabulji 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.#nagpur #wardha_road #ajni_square #kriplani_square #aditya_mirkhelkar
No U-turn back on Wardha Road; Ajni Square remains bottleneck Nagpur authorities have reinstated the No U-Turn rule on Wardha Road during peak evening hours to address growing traffic congestion along the busy corridor. The restriction, which will be enforced daily from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, aims to ease bottlenecks at key junctions such as Ajni Square, Kriplani Square, Rahate Colony, and Lokmat Square. Officials cited the city’s vehicle count, now exceeding 32 lakh, as a primary factor contributing to the worsening traffic conditions. Recent road concretisation work between Rahate Colony and Lokmat Square had previously reduced traffic to a single lane, prompting temporary relaxation of the No U-Turn rule. With both lanes now operational, the measure has been reintroduced to improve traffic flow. Traffic Zone PI Aniruddha Puri explained that the decision was driven by the need to ensure smoother movement for commuters and reduce delays. Officials anticipate the rule will help alleviate congestion at critical junctions, particularly Rahate Colony and Kriplani Square, while enabling uninterrupted travel for vehicles moving from Zero Mile Square to Ajni Square via the Sitabuldi flyover during peak hours. However, Ajni Square remains a persistent bottleneck, with long queues stretching from the double-decker flyover to the junction, causing bumper-to-bumper traffic and frequent delays. Commuters have urged authorities to extend the No U-Turn restriction to Ajni Square, but DCP (Traffic) Lohit Matani noted the practical challenges of doing so. He explained that including Ajni Square would require significantly longer diversions for motorists, which could exacerbate congestion in other areas.#nagpur #ajni_square #kriplani_square #rahate_colony #lokmat_square
