The road traffic for the fast expanding Baleswar town is in disarray and the commuters are facing a harrowing time.
Encroachment by the makeshift shops, street vendors and extension of permanent establishments pose a serious concern near prominent squares, like Fakir Mohan circle, Station square, Cinema square, Phandi square and Police line square, which leads to a chaotic situation in the traffic system.
The major busy squares and circles of the town are experiencing acute traffic congestion. The Fandi square which is also known as Biju Patnaik square has been the worst congested junction especially during the festive seasons.
“It is virtually an anarchical state. All the tall claims made by the district administration and municipality in the past to clear the roads have proved hollow,” said Samar Biswal, a resident.
“It appears there is no sincere effort by the district administration to address the issue of traffic congestion,” he said.
The Fandi square, a four way junction , while connects OT road, Cinema square , Station road and a daily vegetable and fish market, the traffic here almost remains crowded even during normal day hours.
By evening, the congestion while gets thicker, during summer the roadside makeshift shops add to the woes. Although there is a traffic post, yet most of the residents feel it is meaningless.
“The square is choked from all directions. There is no parking place.
Since one can hardly find a breathing space in the Fandi square, there is hardly any necessity of manning a post here,” said Ananta Rana, a local.
“The post was while earlier manned during peak hours in day as well as in evening, now it has been stopped. Since the branch roads are choked from all directions, hardly anything is left for us to regulate,” said a traffic police.
A senior police officer said, “It is duty of the civic body to clear the road and provide parking places. In absence of these two basic things, the traffic is in a shambles although being manned,”