Joint drive launched to develop Tonk Road as model corridor

Jaipur: The city police, Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) and Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) launched a joint exercise develop Tonk Road into a model corridor, aiming to ease congestion, improve pedestrian movement and prepare the stretch for proposed metro construction.Officials said the exercise will focus on reorganising bus stands, removing encroachments, curbing illegal parking and repairing damaged road portions. The work is being carried out in phases along the busy Ajmeri Gate–Sanganer stretch.“We have divided the Ajmeri Gate to Sanganer stretch of the Tonk Road in stretches and working on each stretch one by one. We are identifying the reasons behind traffic congestion on these stretches, taking videos of such problems and then working on the prospective solutions,” an official said.As part of initial measures, several bus stands between Ajmeri Gate and Laxmi Mandir Tiraha have been shifted, including one on the B2B Crossing-bound flank of Rambagh Circle. Authorities are relocating stops away from intersections to streamline traffic flow.“The idea is to relocated bus stands — located at intersections — to around 80 to 100 metre from the crossing. This is why we have relocated the bus stand at the corner of the Rambagh Circle. Similarly, we won’t allow any unauthorised parking on both sides of the Tonk Road. The pavements need to be free only for pedestrian movements,” another official said.Civic authorities have also issued notices to commercial establishments, asking them to ensure valet parking and clear encroachments from pavements.Officials noted longstanding gaps in bus stop planning. “For example, JLN Marg has around 22 bus stands on both sides with no bus routes. On the other hand, on Tonk Road — where more than 90% of city buses ply — has several official stops with no designated bus stand,” an official added.