BHUBANESWAR: Durga Puja festivities have concluded but there is no respite from massive traffic snarls in Capital city. On Saturday, vehicular traffic came to a standstill for over a hour along the busy Cuttack Road, Vani Vihar and Rasulgarh Square roads.
The commuters had a tough time while negotiating the traffic and some were even forced to change routes to reach their destinations but city police remained completely aloof. People took to social media to show an ambulance stuck on a flyover.
For a stretch of two to three kilometres, the travel took about an hour as vehicles moved at snail’s pace between Vani Vihar and Satsang Vihar as buses halting to pick up passengers worsened the traffic situation. “It took me over one hour to reach Satsang Vihar from Saheed Nagar in my car,” a person who was stuck in the traffic, said.Another commuter was stuck for one hour at Rasulgarh Square where huge congestion was witnessed.
According to traffic police officers, the jam on the National Highway was triggered after a truck and a bus developed mechanical snags near Rasulgarh and Palasuni areas of the city. Besides, traffic had to be regulated due to VIP movement to the 11th day rituals of senior Congress leader Jayanti Patnaik near Tankapani Road on the outskirts of the city. Commuters aid traffic jams have become a regular affair in the city with encroachments as well as absence of traffic constables.
Sources said though police are not blocking traffic during FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup teams travel from their hotels to Kalinga Stadium for practice sessions, it is also slightly affecting vehicular movement in the City. Several commuters complained of heavy traffic near Acharya Vihar, Rajmahal Square, AG Square and other areas of the city in the evening.