The Traffic department has identified around 110 spots where autorickshaw stops would be constructed in the city. The list of the stops will be forwarded to the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) which will review it in next two to three days and begin the process of constructing the stops.
The locations such as Kalibadi Chowk, TI Chowk, Jai Stambh Chowk, Pachpedi Naka, Santoshi Nagar Chowk, Bhatagaon Chowk, Bhagat Singh Chowk, Ayurvedic College Chowk, Mahoba Bazaar Chowk and Railway Station are the few among the 110 spots that have been selected by the Traffic Department for constructing the auto stops in the city.
“Depending upon the traffic pressure, we have proposed auto stands at various points in the city. Five to 20 auto rickshaws will be allowed to be stationed at one stop depending upon the need of the citizens,” Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Balram Hirwani told The Pioneer on Tuesday. The survey was conducted on February 1, 2 and 3 following a meeting of Chhattisgarh Autorickshaw Union with officers of Traffic Department, RTO and RMC. The meeting was held on January 28.
“Designated stops, like bus stops, must be built so that we pick-up passengers only from those stops. This will improve traffic conditions both for us and the citizens,” President of the Union Jagdeesh Prasad Tiwari stated.
In the meeting, Tiwari had stated that for 8,000-10,000 autos in the city, there are only a handful of autorickshaw stands. “We have demanded that stands with a capacity of at least 4,000 autorickshaws are created in the city. Most of the times, we do not have space to park our vehicles. And when we park autos on the roadside, we face challans and heavy fines,” said Tiwari.
It may be noted that for a long time, citizens have been facing problems because of reckless autorickshaw driving in the city. Autos in the city take sharp turns from the middle of the road to pick-up passengers which results in accidents.