Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha expressed serious concerns about the worsening traffic congestion in India’s major cities during a parliamentary session. Chadha proposed the establishment of a National Urban Decongestion Mission to combat the issue effectively. He highlighted how traffic jams have transformed cities into massive parking lots, causing commuters to spend excessive time stuck in traffic instead of reaching their destinations.
Chadha emphasized the severity of the problem by pointing out specific congestion hotspots in cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, and Chennai. He mentioned areas such as Ring Road and Dhaula Kuan in Delhi, A.J.C. Bose Road in Kolkata, Silk Board Junction in Bengaluru, and Andheri in Mumbai as examples of chronic traffic bottlenecks. Chadha underscored that the situation has forced commuters to conduct work activities from their vehicles, resorting to virtual meetings due to prolonged traffic delays.
The MP highlighted the economic implications of traffic congestion, citing data that revealed the significant amount of time commuters lose annually in cities like Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, and Chennai. Chadha stressed that the issue goes beyond inconvenience, leading to reduced productivity, fuel wastage, increased air pollution, and a decline in overall quality of life due to stress and frustration.
Chadha warned that the problem is likely to escalate further, given the substantial increase in private vehicle registrations in the country. He urged the government to take immediate action by implementing a National Urban Decongestion Mission focused on enhancing public transportation, adopting smarter traffic management strategies, and implementing a scientific parking policy. The MP also called for a comprehensive plan to address congestion in major cities, emphasizing that failure to tackle the issue could impede India’s economic progress.
