Ranchi: The state urban development minister on Wednesday directed traffic police to reopen a couple of breaches in road medians that were plugged last year and reiterated the need to streamline auto-rickshaw parking.

C.P. Singh began an unscheduled recce of various tho-roughfares in the capital ar-ound 7am, with traffic SP Sanjay Ranjan Singh and municipal commissioner Shantanu Kumar Agrahari in tow. The inspection continued till 10am.

The minister made his first stop at Indrapuri Colony along Ratu Road, where people had complained that they were travelling an extra half a kilometre for just a U-turn since the gap in the divider was blocked in 2017.

"Around 6,000 people were being inconvenienced. After inspection, it has been decided to reopen the gap. A traffic post is needed here," Singh told his men.

On Harmu Road, 30 breaches on the divider had been cl-osed by the district administration last year, including the one at Kishoreganj Chowk where the experiment backfired and led to long traffic snarls.

"So, the Kishoreganj Cho-wk gap will also be reopened and a provision made for regular traffic monitoring. The Harmu Road stretch leading to Upper Bazaar from Shani Ma-ndir will be declared one-way to streamline traffic," the minister said. This will mean that vehicles going towards Harmu Road from Upper Bazaar will have to take a detour through Garikhana Chowk.

Singh, during his three-hoursurprise inspection, expressed displeasure over random auto parking at Kishori Yadav Chowk behind Raj Bhavan. The chowk forks towards Upper Bazaar, Lalpur, Garikhana, Kanke Road, Ratu Road, Harmu Road and Nagababa Khatal. Traffic congestion is routine, courtesy rogue autos, and sometimes road hog minibuses.

The minister asked the traffic SP to ensure that autos were parked in a vacant space near New Market owned by the Ranchi Regional Development Authority.

At Albert Ekka Chowk on Mahatma Gandhi Road, he issued similar instructions to curb unauthorised parking of autos. He maintained that a plot of land behind the public water kiosk could be used for parking instead.

From Albert Ekka Chowk, the minister and his men drove towards Booty More. They spotted as many as 132 breaches on the divider.

Singh directed the traffic police and RMC to carry out an inspection to identify the unnecessary ones and plug them.

TRAFFIC ORDERS

Breaches to reopen

*At Indrapuri Colony on Ratu Road

*At Kishoregank Chowk on Harmu Road

Auto parking to be streamlined

*At Kishori Yadav Chowk behind Raj Bhavan

*At Albert Ekka Chowk on Main Road