Cuttack, Aug. 23: Kirti Swain, who regularly commutes between Badambadi and Madhupatna on Link Road, will be spared to board and alight from running buses on the stretch.
The 31-year-old resident of Shakti Nagar is hopeful that the two proposed bus bays at Madhupatna junction will not only ease traffic flow on the stretch, but also spare passengers from risking their lives in a bid to catch running buses in the middle of Link Road.
“The bays, to a great extent, will facilitate smooth flow of traffic as the road is relatively narrower from the Madhupatna side up to Link Road. This will also help the passengers as there will be no need for them to risk their lives to catch a running bus,” he said.
Commuting on the busy Madhupatna junction will be much easier as construction of the bus bays has reached its final stages. Sources said the proposed bays would help passengers board and alight from the buses at a particular point. Both the bus bays will start operation from next month.
“According to the traffic management committee’s decision, the public works department is carrying out construction of the proposed bus bays, which will, to a great extent, resolve the congestion problem on Link Road,” said assistant commissioner of police (traffic) Pramod Rath.
Rath said one of the bays would facilitate passengers to board the buses, while another would help them alight from the vehicles. The buses will be given two to three minutes to enter and exit the bay, a move that is expected to ease congestion on the main road.
Many buses pick up passengers by obstructing the busy road from Badambadi to Madhupatna.
“There is heavy rush on the 2.5-km stretch from Badambadi to Link Road. There is absolutely no space for other motorists to travel on the road as the buses often pick up passengers by halting in the middle of the road,” said Subharanshu Das, a motorist.
The decision came in the wake of resentment among commuters as it was taking nearly 15 minutes to cover the 2km from Badamabadi to Madhupatna junction owing to congestion in peak hours.
