The joint traffic drive involving district administration, police administration and transport department has been launched on Friday to redress traffic congestion in the regional and district headquarters Pauri. However, things faced blocks as a taxi union staged stir and chakka jam that went on for a few hours. However, district administration and police administration sounded strict in implementing the parking rules involving taxis and buses.
Police deployed at several important points early morning on Friday were seen asking the drivers to shift their vehicles to the places allotted for parking. A taxi union put up resistance, but it did not deter police and administration to act as per the rules. By afternoon all the taxi were removed from the main roads. The angry union members met district magistrate Chandra Sekhar Bhatt and vented their grievances. However, DM asked them to cooperate. He also stressed that as per their permit, they can run only from the garage to the destination. The administration will help them if they cooperate with it, he said.
Sub- divisional magistrate P l Shah told The Pioneer that police will enforce rules strictly. The points have been identified and inspected on Thursday and found suitable for parking taxis, Max and other vehicles. Shah said that all the taxis operating for Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haridwar and Satyakhal have been allotted the new bus station situated on Pauri- Devprayag road, nearly two km away while those operating for Kanskhet, lawali, Kaljikhal, Ghandiyal and Bangghat will be parked in Kandoliya. The taxis operating for Srinagar, Kotdwar, Paubo and Khirsu will be parked on the basement of the under- construction bus station. The traffic arrangement must be followed strictly by the different taxi unions, he affirmed.