Jagatsinghpur: Ahead of Dusshera, the traffic condition in the town has assumed serious proportions, leaving people fumed.
The two-hour long traffic jam on the Sana Bazaar Main Road here Tuesday with buses, trucks, cars, auto-rickshaws and bikes making as long as a two-km beeline exposed the district administration’s tall claims about organised traffic during puja celebrations.
Even an ambulance was seen stuck in the traffic jam, leaving the patient and his relatives in a hapless condition. Interestingly, superintendent of police Praksh R too found himself caught in a crowd.
“Although the stretch is in front of the police station, the role of the police was just next to nothing,” alleged a commuter.
“If the police are helpless what can the common people do during ‘Navami’ and ‘Dasami’ celebrations October 18 and 19,” added another commuter.
The traffic problem at the district head post office is acute as the road from the district headquarters hospital to the town hall has been worsening day to day. Commuters have a harrowing time in getting out of the snarl.
Similar is the plight of road users commuting between the DHH and the Cooperative Bank as they get stuck in the traffic for hours. With no traffic police to monitor the chaotic situation, some youths often volunteer to man the traffic during the peak hours at places.
Ambulances often struggle to make space in the snarl. As the stretch is the only route to take patients to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, relatives of patients have to go through a great ordeal. This often puts the patients’ life at risk,
While some commuters have termed this jam as a first-time experience for the town, some have complained that their purses and wallets are being stolen in the crowd.
When contacted, Jagatsinghpur IIC Rajanikant Mishra admitted the chaotic traffic in the town, but hastened to add, “Movement of traffic will be regulated in the town during Dusshera and the department will be more alert in future,” he added.
PNN
