Rourkela: Vehicular traffic problems in Rourkela are more specific to some major chowks and crossings, rather than a citywide phenomenon. However, the issues on the arterial Main Road in the walled city area of Steel City are perennial in nature and need a separate approach.
Places like Bisra Chowk, Traffic Gate, STI Chowk, DAV Crossing and the one near Panposh Market are some of the areas that require immediate attention. Interestingly, any new Superintendent of Police (SP) promises to address traffic issues as his focus area while taking charge of Rourkela. However, despite the SPs being categorically told about these five places by the media, nothing has happened so far.
Fortunately, no big accident has taken place at any of these crowded places so far. However, minor accidents and the resultant road-fights have become a regular feature, of late.
“Auto-rickshaw drivers are a menace. They are both unaware of and little bothered about traffic rules,” said an octogenarian who suffered a broken limb in an accident sometime back when he was riding a scooter.
At Bisra Chowk one would find these three-wheelers parked all over along with the fruit carts lined up a little ahead. The place becomes chaotic especially when the ‘A’ shift and the general shift end, also during the start of the ‘B’ shift. In the intervening time between the shifts, over three thousand vehicles converge on the road.
A similar situation prevails at Traffic Gate, barely 100 metres away from Bisra Chowk as the place is home to a big vegetable vending zone. Stray animals like cows and bulls are the added components for causing accidents, apart from pull carts, disorderly parked autos and two-wheelers of buyers. Neither RMC nor RSP cares little about clearing the road of stray animals.
Ditto is the scene on the entire stretch from STI Chowk, up to Trishakti Mandir Chowk – into the Hanuman Vatika Complex. The entrance of the newly built temple opens to this busy road and even during normal days (without celebrations or Puja days) the place remains crowded. Along with this, the west entrance of RGH also opens to this road.
Moreover, the STI Flyover lands just in the middle of this road. There are hardly any traffic personnel visible on the road. “We need strict order on this stretch. Mere posting of a couple of traffic personnel is not the answer,” said a woman who commutes on the road every day.
DAV Crossing is one of the busiest junctions. This place becomes packed during the opening and closing times of the school. Commuters on the Ring Road add another dimension to the already bustling traffic at the place.
Side by side, the bus bay has been taken over by the fruit sellers. The shops occupy the entire bay area, posing imminent dangers to motorists.
At Panposh Chowk, the new market building is yet to be fully functional. At any given time of the day, the traffic snarls resemble a jigsaw puzzle.
PNN