Traffic nightmare in Bhagalpur: People remain stuck in jams while cops busy collecting fines
Bhagalpur is the third largest city in Bihar, and one among the four smart cities in the state. However, the traffic on the roads does not give any indication about the smartness of the city.
If you want to move around the city you are sure to face traffic nightmare. The sole traffic signal at the congested Tilka Manjhi Chowk has been dysfunctional for a week, leading to choked roads and chaos.
Despite increasing the number of traffic personnel, the area is witnessing frequent traffic jams. Assistant Sub-Inspector, Tilka Manjhi Police Station, Dasrath Yadav informed that the flaw in the signal lights has been communicated to their seniors and will be repaired soon. “Since this is a machine, it’s obvious it will get faulty on some days,” said Yadav.
Public transport drivers and residents complained that the traffic police have been unable to regulate the traffic properly. There is a disruption of emergency services as ambulances find themselves stuck in what is the busiest part of the city.
With dozens of people being held for violating traffic rules, the drivers questioned the police for not getting the signal lights fixed. An e-rickshaw driver, Kare Lal, who paid an amount of Rs 1000 for violating traffic rules, said, “The police do not see their mistake, and penalise poor people. There is confusion with the way the police are manually controlling the traffic.”
The installation of traffic signals was the first step taken under the ‘Smart City’ scheme. However, the signal has not worked properly for a straight month since the installation.
Bhagalpur Congress MLA, Ajit Sharma, when asked about the issue, accused the Bhagalpur Municipal Corporation (BMC) of ‘planned looting.’ “If the BMC was interested in this issue, it would be resolved in a few hours. Also, someone experienced in the police department should look after the traffic, not a trainee,” said Sharma. Among all this, pedestrians find it extremely difficult to cross the road with vehicles moving in a chaotic way.
