No traffic control & over-speeding turn 6-lane into dangerous race-track

Bhopal: The absence of a traffic control mechanism, coupled with reckless driving, has turned city's six-lane Kolar-Chunabhatti road into an accident-prone area.Experts have even questioned the very design of the road, calling it a highway in the guise of a city street. Multiple road mishaps, ranging from minor to major, have been reported from different sections of the road since its inauguration. Instead of providing smoother connectivity, the broadened road has resulted in traffic chaos and a growing sense of danger, say residents.The tragic hit-and-run accident that killed a 30-year-old a few days ago in the Chuna Bhatti locality is just one addition to a string of accidents over the last three months, many of which involved pedestrians. "Nowadays, the road feels more like a racetrack. Speeding and ignoring traffic lights have become routine, especially after dark. There are no speed breakers and no visible police presence either. Every time you step out, you're taking a risk," said Sukhbinder Singh, who has lived in Chunabhatti for over 10 years. He has witnessed the transformation from potholed, waterlogged, broken roads to a new six-lane but is unsure if the change has provided comfort to commuters.For Priya Sharma, a local school teacher, the daily walk with her children is filled with anxiety. "There are no sidewalks, no zebra crossings, no speed breakers. Cars just fly past. When I used to stand with my children for their vehicle, at least there were open spaces by the roadside where you could stand, waiting for the bus to arrive, but you don't have those spaces either." Road experts agree with the dangers of reckless driving and the absence of traffic control mechanisms but also find fault with the very design of the road. They stress that safety depends not just on drivers but on deliberate, thoughtful infrastructure. "We need better design, public awareness, and enforcement," said Rahul Tiwari, a traffic expert and faculty at MANIT. "Right now, we're falling short on all three fronts. Without decisive intervention, more lives will be put at risk," he added. Calling the six-lane road ‘a highway pretending to be a city street,' he pointed out the lack of pedestrian pathways, cycling lanes, proper signage, and speed monitoring systems. "This is a failure of basic urban planning. In a populated city zone, the priority should be pedestrian safety—not high-speed traffic," he said.Road expert Siddharth Rokade, also a faculty at MANIT, remarked, "The junctions on the road are too vast and poorly marked. The road's layout promotes speed, not caution. And there's no real policing. It's a recipe for disaster," he said. The impact of this ‘design flaw' is deeply personal for residents, especially the elderly. Additional DCP (Traffic), Basant Kaul, when contacted for comments on the issue, said, "Better-quality roads in urban areas can inadvertently encourage speeding, increasing accident risks." While acknowledging the lack of speed limit signage, he emphasised that commuters must also take personal responsibility for driving within safe limits. The official also noted that commercial activity along the road has further compromised safety, effectively reducing the six-lane stretch to just four operational lanes, as two are routinely occupied by parked vehicles. "Some people will always ignore traffic rules, no matter how strict the policing," a traffic official remarked. Originally hailed as a symbol of Bhopal's modernisation, the road now serves as a stark warning. When speed and scale are prioritised over safety and people, the consequences can be dangerous, he added.