Confronted with a myriad of problems, all three universities in Punjab are at different stages of banning certain vehicles from their campuses.
If the Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) in Amritsar has banned Royal Enfield Bullets from its campus to bring down noise levels, the Punjab University here is likely to ask hostellers not to use four-wheelers on the campus to solve the parking problem. Meanwhile, the Punjab Agriculture University in Ludhiana is all set to make its campus off limits for visitors’ vehicles.
Defending its decision, GNDU’s vice-chancellor Ajaib Singh Brar said the high-decibel noise of bullet bikes was disturbing the peaceful environment on the campus. “The number of students using bullet bikes has been on the rise and most of them prefer to use it without silencers. Bullet bikes create high-decibel noise, compared to other bikes,” he said.
The Punjab University is, on the other hand, seriously contemplating to ban hostel students from using four-wheelers on the campus, after parking woes came to the fore. The varsity’s move to implement no vehicle zone on the campus one day per week had earlier got cold shoulder. The campus, spread across 550 acres in Sectors 14 and 25 of the city, has as many as 16 hostels accommodating around 7,000 students. About 4,000 cars ply on the campus on a daily basis, of which 50 per cent belong to hostellers.
“We are planning to start a shuttle service on the campus. Students can avail of the facility instead of using their cars,” said Punjab University PR Director Vineet Punia. Student leaders are, however, opposed to the move. “We have spoken to many students and based on their feedback, we are against the move on banning hostellers from using cars on the campus,” said Punjab University Campus Students’ Council President Satinder Satti.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) is set to ban private vehicles on the campus. “Outsiders often cause accidents inside the campus. A parking for visitors will be constructed near gate number two,” said PAU VC Baldev Singh Dhillon.