Guwahati Gridlock

We take a look at some of the factors that are adding to the traffic problem across the city.

- Manjum Mahanta

As Guwahati, gateway to the Northeast, evolves into a metro city, managing traffic has become a herculean task for the administration. Limited lane space, growing numbers of vehicles and haphazard parking have added to the chaos.

The number of vehicles, both two wheelers and four wheelers plying inside the city has drastically increased over the years. District Transport Office (Kamrup) data reveals that around 1,22,584 new vehicles were registered with the District Transport Office (Kamrup) from April 2015 to March 2017, taking the number of on-road vehicles to over 9.5 lakh. According to the District Transport Officer (DTO), around 300 new vehicles are registered every day and one series of registration numbers often exhausts in three to four months’ time.

Additionally, the population continues to grow. Every year, it increases by an approximate 0.1404 million people, according to a study by India Population. The population of Guwahati in 2018 as per estimated data was 2.1924 million. Recently, Assam Chief Minister Sarbanada Sonowal while laying the foundation stone for the crisscross flyover in Ganeshguri stated, ‘The edge of the city needs to be expanded. Guwahati being the State capital and gateway to NE attracts people from the whole of the Northeast; hence the infrastructure for proper traffic management needs to be upgraded sooner.’