Traffic problem is set to escalate during Durga Puja celebrations here with no steps being taken by the authorities concerned to create parking spaces at major shopping areas.
With around 10 days remaining for the Puja celebrations, traffic in Bhubaneswar is set to increase with people either shopping for puja or visiting puja mandaps.
According to officials at the Regional Transport Office, Bhubaneswar, everyday around 200 vehicles are getting registered in the City. Around 77,383 vehicles were registered in 2011-12. From March 2012 to September 2012, another 35,994 vehicles were registered. With the number of vehicles rising at a fast pace, lack of parking space is only complicating the problem.
Two months ago, the traffic police had started towing two-wheelers and four-wheelers for illegal parking. “Nowadays we see three-lane parking in Janpath. We understand that there are no major parking spaces available, but we have to tow the vehicles to ensure smooth flow of traffic,” a senior traffic police official said.
Apart from traffic congestion in the City, there is the problem of reckless driving of autorickshaws.
With the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) yet to mark any parking slot, the traffic problem is gradually magnifying.
“The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), Bhubaneswar Traffic Commisionerate and BMC have asked the General Administration to identify land to create parking slot for auto rickshaws,” a BMC official said.
The BMC officials have, however, stated that a parking space for all vehicles will soon come up in Ashok Nagar.