A recent study conducted by research scholars of the Lucknow University (LU) — Kashif Imdad and Archana Chaudhry — stated that while the number of buses in the city was declining, the number of cars and auto-rickshaws was increasing, clogging the traffic arteries. The report has been submitted to the director of transport and chief engineer of the National Highway Authority of India, Uttar Pradesh.

Imdad and Chaudhry are conducting research in transport geography under the guidance of Dr D K Singh of the Department of Geography in LU.

Their recommendations include the adoption of the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) to tackle congestion and the construction of an underpass from the Passport Office to Bapu Bhawan to reduce traffic load at the Hazratganj crossing — the busiest area of the city.

Imdad said, “In ITS, sensors and cameras are installed at various crossings. Traffic experts monitor the situation from a control room with TV screens. If they see congestion at any place, they can send messages to the commuters and divert them to another route.”

The study also recommended an increase in the strength of the traffic police. “The city needs about 600 traffic personnel, but the actual strength is only 281,” Imdad said. It also suggested deployment of more buses in the public transport system and decentralisation of government offices from the Hazratganj-Nishatganj route to some outer area.