Traffic snarl on Mahatma Gandhi Setu on Wednesday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Snaky snarls are back to haunt commuters on Mahatma Gandhi Setu.

Over the past few days, the 5.575-km-long bridge that connects Patna with north Bihar remained choked with vehicles much to the plight of commuters. Traffic police have charted dual strategy to slay the demon once and for all. But the commuters might have to wait for some time before complete relief comes their way.

The police have planned to depute personnel on motorbikes on the bridge to take care of the snarls. They would travel to the source of the jams and ease congestion as soon as possible. Also, two quick response teams, comprising nine personnel each, would be stationed permanently on the Gandhi Setu.

A senior traffic police officer told The Telegraph on Wednesday: “We know that commuters face a lot of problems on the bridge owing to snarls. The ongoing construction and renovation work on the bridge is partially responsible for the congestions. The other reason for the snarls is overtaking though the bridge has been declared a no-overtaking zone.”

To clear the snarls, four policemen on two motorbikes would be deployed on the bridge at the earliest.

“There is already considerable police presence on the bridge. There are constables and a highway DSP (deputy superintendent of police). But the entire stretch from Zero Mile to the bridge is quite long, and it often takes a lot of time for cops to reach the origin of the snarl. The bikers would be able to cut through traffic and reach the trouble spots sooner,” the officer said.

Commuters were a displeased lot, though.

Vaishali-based lawyer Aneesh Sinha told The Telegraph that getting stuck in a snarl on the Gandhi Setu in summer could be a hellish experience.

“It’s so hot! The police and administration have no clue what it is like to keep sitting for hours in a bus in the suffocating heat. It’s like getting fried alive,” he said.

The lawyer added: “The trucks don’t care about traffic rules and just overtake each other. This leads to jams.”

Overtaking on the Gandhi Setu, however, could soon pinch your pocket. “The fine for overtaking on the bridge is between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000. The police are planning to increase it to deter heavy vehicles from overtaking,” said the traffic officer.

Commuters claim that the need of the hour was a permanent solution.

Atul Kumar, a resident of the Bypass area, said: “The checking is just not happening. It is a sad scene. No one cares.”

The police claim they care and would do their best to alleviate the problem. “According to the initial plan, each of these two teams will comprise nine men, trained to clear traffic bottlenecks,” said the officer.

But this plan would not be implemented with the same speed as the bikers.

“At this moment though, due to the municipal elections, a lot of policemen have gone to other districts. Once they return, the teams would be formed immediately,” the officer said. “For the moment, the DSP on the bridge has been instructed to be very strict on overtaking. Even vehicles of ministers would not be allowed to overtake others.”