Arithang residents protest proposed traffic regulation SIKKIM POLICE MAKES AMENDMENTS TO ORIGINAL PROPOSAL, OPENS BYLANE FOR UP TRAFFIC SAGAR CHHETRI

GANGTOK, 23 Apr: Following the recent announcement of the East District Traffic Police of the new traffic regulation on the Arithang road, a representation was made by residents of Arithang to the District Collector [East] today. A strong delegation of more than 200 residents of Arithang along with the Municipal Councilor of the area, Ashish Rai, presented their grievances and issues along with a memorandum to the DC, AK Singh regarding the imposition of the new traffic rule.
Traffic Police, it may be recalled, had proposed that vehicles coming up from Arithang not be allowed to access NH 31A from the Sher-e-Punjab route between 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to keep the highway “free of clogging” during this peak hour. Arithang residents travelling to town would then have been required to drive down to the Indira Byepass and then travel up during these two hours. While this might have eased the bottleneck at Sher-e-Punjab and Lall Bazaar turning, it would have clearly inconvenienced commuters from Arithang. [A new regulation has been passed by the Sikkim Police now. See accompanying box for details]
During an interaction with the DC at the DAC [East] conference hall, Arithang residents informed that the public of the area have worked out a practicable regulation of their own which they have been strictly following strictly. Under this regulation, no vehicle is allowed to enter Arithang from Sher-e-Punjab between 9 to 11 a.m. and no vehicle is allowed to ply uphill onto the National Highway on this route between 3 to 5 pm. They urged the DC to allow them to continue this practice.
The new traffic regulation will cause a lot of problems for the people of the area, they said. They informed that earlier they could reach Hospital Dara by share-cab for Rs 20, but with the new regulation the people will have to pay upto Rs 100 just to reach Hospital Dara. They also complained that to reach Hospital Dara from Arithang takes around 5 minutes but as per the new regulation it would take around 30 minutes provided there is no traffic congestion. [This, before the latest regulation was announced for the area]
They also mentioned that the new traffic management would not only be responsible for more fuel consumption but it would also create additional traffic on the National Highway from the Indira Bye Pass.
Arithang councilor Ashish Rai stressed that the concerned authority should have consulted the people of the area before proposing any regulation. He also added that there should be prior sensitization among the people before such a system is put into effect.
In response, the DC assured to take the issue seriously and to discuss it with the SP [East] and other concerned authorities for further action. However, he also asked for a week’s time to consult all stakeholders where he informed that he would call a meeting by including the people of the area before taking the final decision.
The DC assured that all inconveniences highlighted by the people in the meeting would be taken into consideration before taking any further decisions. He also assured to carry out a sensitization programme among the people. By evening, Sikkim Police had however issued an order on the new regulation which opens a by-lane into Church Road for up-traffic from Arithang in the morning peak hours. It remains to be seen how the residents take to this new regulation and how effectively the cops implement it.