VIJAYAWADA: Stray cattle hindering vehicle movement on major roads and even in residential areas during peak hours has become a cause of concern in Vijayawada. With near-miss accidents occurring on a daily basis, residents demand that the municipal corporation offer a permanent solution to the issue.
On Tuesday, a herd of stray cows on the busy Mahatma Gandhi Road led to traffic snarls for a while not far away from the district collectorate. For almost 15 minutes, passersby and autorickshaw drivers tried to chase the cows away, but their attempts went in vain. A while later, civic staff reached the spot and took almost half an hour to shift them to a cattle shed at Rajarajeswari Peta.
Ch Rajesh, who was driving on the stretch at the time, said the problem of stray cattle is nothing new to the people of Vijayawada, and such incidents only rose over the last few months. “Stray cattle roaming on BRTS Road and arterial roads of One Town, Gandhi Nagar, Satyanarayanapuram and Ayodhya Nagar is a common sight. However, a herd of cows roaming on the busy MG Road during the peak hours of the day is a serious issue that must be dealt with immediately.”
Meanwhile, the civic officials maintained that cattle owners leave their livestock to roam the streets not paying heed to the trouble that the motorists have to face. “To put an end to the menace, the civic body had conducted a series of meetings with cattle owners and in some cases collected hefty penalties from them. But they continue to leave their livestock on roads. The issue will be taken to the notice of commissioner Swapnil Dinakar Pundkar,” they added.
Identify suitable roads for cycling track: VMC
To promote the use of bicycles for daily commute in an attempt to bring down pollution, VMC is planning to develop dedicated cycling tracks on the city roads. Municipal Commissioner Swapnil Dinakar Pundkar held a review meeting with the officials concerned on Tuesday and discussed the steps to be taken for developing cycling tracks in the city.