Traffic moves slowly on Mahatma Gandhi Setu in Patna on Thursday. Picture by Sachin

Patna, Sept. 1: Next time you are stuck in a traffic signal on Mahatma Gandhi Setu, you can blame the red tape for your misery. Though seven days have passed since the order for the Bihar Military Police (BMP) jawans and officers to return to the snarl-hit bridge was issued, the men are still missing in action.

Sources said the process is still stuck in files and papers.

They were removed from duty on August 24 by deputy inspector-general (central range) Vineet Vinayak, who was appointed nodal officer for the regulation of smooth running of vehicles along the bridge. Patna central superintendent of police (SP) Shivdeep Lande, who also holds the additional charge of traffic SP, issued orders on August 26 to re-instate the BMP personnel to ensure smooth flow of traffic and enforce traffic rules on the bridge.

A traffic policeman posted on the bridge today told The Telegraph: “We heard that 110 BMP men were supposed to be deployed here. But we don’t know when that is going to happen. Just a few days ago, a major snarl choked the bridge. The situation is thankfully under control today. We hope there will be no problems.”

Besides a few snarls, traffic flowed at a normal speed. The absence of the BMP men was still a cause for worry.

“The day before Id and Teej the bridge was choked by an endless snarl that reminded us of the time when such traffic jams were common,” said another police officer.

He added: “Though the traffic is normal today, we are a worried lot. We have a force of about 15 to 20 men along the bridge. There is not much that we can do. Vehicles continue to overtake each other. It is impossible for us to check everyone. It is a tough job.”

He also said: “We expect the BMP men to return soon. They will be spread out till Fatuha, at a distance of around 25km from Patna. The team will be on the whole stretch of the road from Fatuha to Mahatma Gandhi Setu. Earlier, the whole force was deployed only on the stretch of the bridge.”

The commuters, who had to cross the bridge today were, however, not happy with the delay. “How long does it take for an order to be implemented? It has been a week now since it was passed. Maybe the cops are waiting for another mammoth jam to choke the bridge,” said Patna City resident Santosh Kumar.