On 26 Apr, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the opening of the road connecting Sukhna Lake to Nayagaon. This 500 meters stretch of a road outside Panjab and Haryana chief ministers’ residences has been closed to the public for 40 years, since the era of Panjab militancy. It is set to open on 1 May on a trial basis. The court has directed Chandigarh Police to engage traffic experts for preparing a traffic management plan for the road that will be opened from 7 am and 7 pm on working days for now. The road was closed at the merge point of Uttar Marg-Vidya Path. Consequently, for almost four decades, commuters moving between Nayagaon and Sukhna Lake were forced to take long detours via adjacent sectors. Police of both states and Chandigarh opposed the idea of opening the road, citing security concerns. On the same day, the Contract Workers Union from the Panjab transport department stopped all buses coming from Panjab at the bus stand in Phase 6, Mohali – a satellite town to Chandigarh within Panjab boundary. This forced passengers to find alternative arrangements to reach Chandigarh. The workers are demanding Chandigarh Transport Union (CTU) rectify their timetable and not violate the 2008 agreement. According to that agreement, CTU buses from Chandigarh can travel 27,000 km, but were traveling up to 45,000 km, resulting in loss of passengers and income for the Panjab union.
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