
A Ranchi traffic police experiment to decongest two arterial roads in Upper Bazaar has fallen flat on the face.
Within 72 hours of the one-way rule being imposed on Pustak Path and Shradhanand Road, vehicles were found to be merrily flouting it on Friday.
From rickshaws and cycles to bikes and cars, every wheel was found rolling a kilometre towards Shaheed Chowk from Mahavir Chowk on Pustak Path. Similarly, two-wheelers to four-wheelers honked their way to Mahavir Chowk from University Chowk on Shradhanand Road.
Under the one-way traffic rule, vehicles are allowed to head to Mahavir Chowk on Pustak Path and to University Chowk on Shradhanand Road.
Ram Prakash Tiwary, who runs a book store in Upper Bazaar, accused traffic police of lack of seriousness. "The men in uniform are greedy. They get busy collecting bribe from offenders instead of disciplining them. This is why the one-way traffic fiat is failing," he said.
Rickshaw-puller Sunil Kumar, who was going towards Mahavir Chowk, expressed helplessness. "Passengers force us to flout the rule. Since traffic constables are often absent, it becomes difficult for us to convince passengers to take a detour," he said.
Traffic SP Sanjay Ranjan Singh said he had issued instructions to his men to implement the one-way traffic rule strictly. "There are some teething problems, which will be sorted out soon."