Traffic chaos on Mahtab Road and (below) at Dolmundai circular crossing in Cuttack. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, May 12: Mahatab Road, which acts as a connecting link between several important places, remains jam-packed throughout the day and there are no traffic constables to streamline the flow of vehicles.

“There is huge rush of traffic on Mahatab Road where a lot of commercial units and other vital establishments are located. It is difficult to cope with peak-hour rush,” said Nishikant Nayak, 35, a commuter.

Mahatab Road is a crucial link to important destinations such as, Chhatrabazar, Malgodown, College Square and Professor Para. Everyday, hundreds of commuters, including office-goers, traders and school and college students depend on the road to travel to their destinations.

Local residents say the entry of heavy vehicles, absence of parking space and encroachment come in the way of smooth flow of traffic in the area.

However, things have improved as the road connecting Dolumdai with Chhatrabazar and Malgodown via Mahatab Road, which was in bad shape, has been repaired recently.

The entire stretch of the road from Badambadi to Ranihaat, that passes through Dolmundai, and the one from Seminary Chhack to Dolmundai is struggling to accommodate the ever-increasing number of vehicles in the city.

“The Dolmundai circular crossing has become a self-regulated crossing because no police is deployed here to streamline traffic. This has led to utter traffic chaos because vehicles from Badambadi, Bajrakabati and Mahatab Road converge at this point,” said Chandrakant Malick (38), another commuter.

Malick said the absence of parking lot forced people to park their vehicles on roadsides causing inconvenience to other commuters. Traffic officials admitted that encroachment and lack of parking space were creating hurdles in the smooth flow of traffic at many places in the city.

“Despite the lack of adequate infrastructure, steps are being taken to streamline traffic movement in the city. A lot of space for the creation of parking lots has been identified and we hope they will be functional soon,” said an official.

“Steps are also being taken for deployment of traffic constables at prominent junctions and personnel have already been deployed at various places, including Mahanadi Vihar, Belle View and other vital areas in the city,” he said.