A police officer directs an autorickshaw driver to park his vehicle properly as part of the traffic regulation drive in Patna on Tuesday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Traffic police have decided to ensure smooth vehicular flow near major roundabouts.

Sources in the police headquarters said four important spots, which witness severe traffic jams resulting from man-made problems, have been selected.

On Tuesday, a team led by traffic superintendent of police P.K. Das visited the Patna Junction roundabout to streamline the haphazard parking situation, which is one among the basic reasons for chaos in the area.

Similar steps would be taken at the income tax roundabout, Hartali Mor and the Boring Road roundabout, the sources said.

“At the Station Road area, the main problem is with city buses and autorickshaws. The police are mainly concerned about the buses parked in a very bad way around the station area all the time leaving no space for the commuters. The second problem in the area is encroachment. On Tuesday, we have tried some steps aiming to ease off the problems there. The idea is to introduce minimum changes but ensure that the bottlenecks are freed and problems are tackled. The buses and autorickshaw drivers have been asked to park in a better way and there will be action against them if they do not comply. One will be able to see a positive result of our action in two to three days,” Das, who, was made the traffic SP earlier this month, said.

At the Boring Road roundabout, the sources said, the main problem lied in the fact that the traffic policemen posted there were not interested in managing traffic seriously.

“That roundabout is one of the biggest snarl-prone areas of the city. The road from AN College to the roundabout witnesses city buses and autorickshaws stopping just wherever they want to pick up and drop passengers. Similarly, the road leading the West Boring Canal Road from the roundabout has turned into a literal auto stand and cops do not pay any heed,” another traffic policeman said.

The situation was more or less the same at the income tax roundabout.

“Here too one of the main reasons for traffic jams is the buses and autorickshaws which stop wherever they want to. There are major encroachments as one reaches the roundabout via Bailey Road. The Hartali Mor also faces a similar scene. These public transport drivers slam their brakes wherever they want to and we are mainly concentrating on this at present,” the officer added.

Praising the efforts of new traffic superintendent of police, Exhibition Road resident Rakesh Kumar said: “The police should have taken such steps long back. The situation at all the roundabouts is very bad. The main problem area is the Boring Road roundabout, which is clogged most of the times and the police hardly take action. If the police have started it now, they should ensure that the work is completed and not left midway,” he said.