Ranchi: The traffic department will hold a meeting on Friday to brainstorm on ways to keep city roads snarl-free during festivals, especially Ram Navami on March 25.
The development comes in the wake of Jharkhand High Court asking the administration on Wednesday whether it had any proper plan in place to streamline traffic during festivals.
SP (traffic) Sanjay Ranjan Singh said the division bench comprising Justice Apresh Kumar Singh and Justice Ratnakar Bhengra was hearing a PIL filed by Rahul Kumar Das on erratic traffic in the city.
"We will sit tomorrow (Friday) afternoon and discuss the issue as it is always difficult to manage traffic when over 3 lakh people come on the Main Road and almost the same number assemble along the road to welcome them," Singh said.
Another official blamed the erratic traffic on the lower capacity of roads, increasing number of vehicles, poor civil sense and encroachment.
"Recently, traffic department and civic body teams have been cracking a whip on illegal autos, rogue parking and encroachers. Things won't improve overnight," he said, adding that they will try to work out a few plans ahead of Ram Navami to keep key roads leading to station and airports snarl-free.
"Unless hawkers are properly rehabilitated, no plan will be work in this city," he said.
RMC city manager Saurav Kumar, who takes care of traffic and transport issues, sounded helpless.
"We have an enforcement team, but we work under the supervision of SP (traffic) and are not in a position to comment on the improvement of traffic management during the festival," he said.
On Wednesday, the high court had ordered the government to spell out concrete short-term plans to deal with traffic congestion in the city. It also asked the government about the steps it had taken to ensure smooth flow of vehicles during festivals.
The observation was made when the state government informed that it had formed nine teams to deal with encroachments.
RMC informed the court that work for rehabilitating hawkers was on. Parking spots are being developed at Jaipal Singh Stadium and Naga Baba Khatal on Ratu Road.
The road construction department said flyovers were being built to ease traffic pressure. The construction of Kantatoli flyover has already begun, the government counsel said. The bench ordered the government to file a fresh report on the work done in this regard. The matter will be heard after a fortnight.
