Traffic police quick response personnel guide a group of wedding musicians at Karbhigaiya in Patna on Wednesday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Traffic police in the state capital seem to have understood the relevance of a baraat and the baraati on the Big Day.

Eyeing the peak wedding season, which ends this month, the traffic police on Wednesday formed two quick response teams to “make way” for the baraatis and the groom without disturbing the daily commuters.

Each team comprised 10 constables. They were deployed at the eastern and western sides of the capital to regulate traffic movements during the time marriage processions criss-crossed the capital.

Patna traffic superintendent of police Chandrika Prasad told The Telegraph on Wednesday that the plan would be implemented on a daily basis even after the marriage season. A proposal regarding the same has been sent to Patna senior superintendent of police Amrit Raj, Prasad said.

“The marriage season is at its peak. Every day people witness a lot of marriage processions on the streets. There was maximum rush on Wednesday, as it was an auspicious day. Several marriages were solemnised. Keeping this in mind, the police formed two quick response teams to control traffic movements whenever a marriage procession hit the road. Both the teams functioned under two traffic deputy superintendents of police. The teams had 10 constables each,” Prasad said.

The police confirmed that after the two teams were deployed on Wednesday, traffic snarls were fewer and under control.

Prasad added that initially the teams would be handling two tasks.

“They will be regulating the traffic in such a way that the daily commuters are not affected by the marriage processions. The police will also ensure that the people in the processions don’t face much hassle when they are on the road. One team has been deployed at Zero Mile and the second team has been placed at Karbhigaiya Bridge area. The teams will be deployed every afternoon and will be present till late night,” the officer said.

Another officer said: “Cops don’t want to stop a marriage procession because the day is special for the groom and his family members. In such a situation, managing traffic is a tall order. Things have to be done in such a way that the baraatis and the daily commuters don’t feel the traffic trauma.”

Daily commuters, however, believe that though a marriage procession is unavoidable, the police need to be more proactive to deal with the seasonal quandary.

“I don’t have any reservation against marriage processions but the resultant traffic jam is unbearable. On Tuesday night, I was stuck at the Bhootnath Road area in Kankerbagh for two hours because of back-to-back marriage processions. To add to the crisis, the cops deployed there had no clue how to untangle the mismanaged,” Sudesh Kumar Singh, a businessman living in the same area, said.

The police are also planning to deploy the quick response teams on all days. “The traffic situation in the capital is grave all the time. Once the two teams are deployed permanently, they can take care of the traffic in a much efficient way. A proposal regarding this has been sent to the SSP,” Prasad said.