The enthusiasm with which the Punjab Government implemented the new office timings on Tuesday seems to fizzle out the very next day with all Cabinet Ministers, except two, failing to reach their offices in Punjab Civil Secretariat on time.
Contrary to the pictures of about nine out of total 14 Ministers being in their offices well before time, and secretariat corridors abuzz with activity on Tuesday, only two ministers — Dr Baljit Kaur and Chetan Singh Jouramajra — were seen in their offices before 8 am.
In fact, the number of officers was also less, with many seen entering the Secretariat even after 8 am. On the other hand, most of the employees had reached the office on time.
Notably, to save power, the Punjab Government on Tuesday launched its early-come-early-go plan by changing the office timings from 7:30 am to 2 pm instead of usual 9 am to 5 pm for the next two-and-a-half months — a move expected to save 350 megawatt (MW) daily.
On the first day, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reached his office in Punjab Civil Secretariat at 7:28 am; and later addressed the media publicizing the new initiative aimed at saving power, besides other benefits.
Besides Mann, most of the Cabinet Ministers, including Aman Arora, Brahm Shankar Jimpa, Harbhajan Singh ETO, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, other than bureaucrats, superintendents, other employees, had also reached office on time on Tuesday. Moreover, the secretariat staff was in full strength on the first day of the changed timings, and the corridors of powers were abuzz with hectic activity during the morning hours.
However, the scene of the second day was entirely different.
Mann had described the “unprecedented” decision as the “dawn of a new era” which is estimated to save approximately Rs 40-45 crores in the next two and half months. “The new work hours will ensure that maximum sunlight is utilized in government offices,” Mann had said.
Even as the new timings are sans any lunch break, the employees will still work an hour less than the usual eight-hour timetable.
Revised Govt Office Hours Reduces Travel Time at Busy Mohali Airport Road: Study
Punjab Government’s decision to change the timings of government offices will not only save electricity but has also led to reduce traffic congestion at a busy Airport Road in Mohali.
The fact came to fore in a study conducted by the Punjab Road Safety and Traffic Research Centre (PRSTRC) to analyze the impact of changing office hours on a traffic movement. The study found a significant reduction of congestion on the Airport Road (PR-7) on its first day of implementation.
The traffic analysis, carried out using Tom-Tom Maps on the 18-km long Airport Road, found that the average delays during peak hours have reduced from 30-40 minutes to mere five to six minutes.
The state’s Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Traffic, AS Rai said that the reduction in travel time will also cut down the fuel consumption, which will save costs that would have otherwise been estimated to Rs 6.75 lakhs daily by directly saving 7500 litres of fuel.
In addition to the cost savings, the reduction in congestion is also beneficial for the environment, as it leads to a corresponding reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants, he said.
The study found that during peak hour, about 7000 vehicles cross the Airport Road (PR-7) in one hour, with 25 per cent of these being two-wheelers, 64 per cent being four-wheelers, and the remaining 11 per cent being trucks, buses, LCVs, tractors, multi-axles, and others.
Based on conservative estimates, the additional delay of 25 minutes for these vehicles during five hours would have consumed 7500 litres of fuel per day. The estimates of fuel saving are based upon the vehicle operating cost for different vehicles made available by the Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi and Indian Roads Congress.
PRSTRC Director Dr Navdeep Asija said that the success of this initiative on the Airport Road can serve as a model for other cities and major roads to reduce congestion, save costs, and promote a cleaner environment. Other cities in the state must have observed the same on the first day, and they are looking forward to its long-term impact as well, he added.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Road Safety and Traffic Research Centre has been making concerted efforts to find innovative solutions to reduce congestion and promote sustainable development in the state.