The traffic system in the State capital was thrown out of gear on Saturday with Raipur Road being widened. Commuters had a harrowing time as traffic crawled at many places. Besides, the people working in other districts hitting the roads in their full strength on Saturday to reach their working places on time after three days of holiday were over added to the ordeal on the road.
Following ongoing works on widening of roads from Sahastradhara crossing to Raipur Police Station (Kali mandir), police have drafted a traffic plan. Under the plan, commuters had to travel around two or three kilometres extra to reach Kali Mandir via Nanoor Kheda and Nalapani. However, the condition of this road is pitiable.
The commuters using Colony Road adjacent to Raipur Road resulted in a traffic snarl that took time to clear. Things were in a mess with no police were deployed to regulate traffic on Colony Road. Four-wheelers using the road aggravated things further.
Suman, resident of the colony, Kewal Vihar said that residents had faced difficulty in walking along the stretch because of the traffic jam throughout the day. Students using this road to reach their schools were also inconvenienced. He asked for prohibition on the four- wheelers along the road.
Moreover, in other parts of the city, the scene was nearly the same as vehicles moved at a snail’s pace. The ordeal that started in the morning continued till late evening.
At many of the important crossings across the city, vehicles were found stuck bumper to bumper, leaving the commuters in the lurch. Among the worst affected areas were Rispana, Survey Chowk, Dilaram Chowk and Clock Tower where traffic either crawled or got stuck.
Dalanwala resident Sohan said they had faced difficulties due to the day-long traffic jams. “It has, however, become a routine for us,” she said.
A commuter Rohan said that traffic jams are witnessed every Saturday because those working outside the district swarmed out on the roads to reach their working places on time after spending a day or two at their homes.