Bhubaneswar: Expansion work at Cuttack road-side entrance of Bhubaneswar Railway Station and encroachment have led to a massive crunch of parking space at the busy junction. Passengers face great difficulty in entering and exiting the station due to this.
Currently, the left side parking space has been monopolised by auto rickshaw drivers while taxi drivers rule front side. Although some two wheelers are parked on the road near the RPF office, the no-parking boards placed in the area have raised questions about the lack of parking space for common people.
But these no-parking boards do not have any indication about the authority (East Coast Railway (ECoR), Railway Protection Force or Government Railway Police) which placed it.
“We don’t know where to park bikes. Although we understand the difficulty of railways to provide such facilities when construction work is going on, the authorities must make sure that common people get parking space,” said Prasant Kumar Sarangi, who had came to drop a relative.
Similarly, people using four wheelers face a tough time due to encroachment by street vendors.
“It is very difficult to come with a four- wheeler to this side. There are many street vendors on the road. It is also tough to reverse the vehicle. Taxi drivers, too, do not allow the common people to park their vehicles,” said Ramakant Mishra, a car owner.
However, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials claimed that encroachers will be evicted soon.
“BMC has received many complaints regarding street vendors on this side of the station. The issue is under consideration and it will be sorted out,” said BMC public relation officer Gopal Panigrahi. Railway officials also promised a solution to the lack of parking space. “We are having an expansion work on Cuttack road side of the station. However, we are trying our best to minimise the difficulties for passenger. This issue is being taken seriously and there will be a dedicated parking space for common people,” said a railway official.
Parking woes bane of rly station
