Traffic chaos at Banka Bazar in Cuttack. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, April 8: Once used as a convenient short cut to evade traffic congestion at other areas in the city, Banka Bazar road is now beset with traffic problems, thanks to illegal encroachment adn an ever-increasing number of vehicles.

Negotiating the heavy rush on prominent roads has now become a daily affair for the residents of the Millennium City.

Unchecked encroachment means there’s no scope to expand roads that might have been made larger to better deal with growing traffic snarls.

Banka Bazar road is struggling to accommodate a rising number of vehicles. Residents of the area and commuters have to go through harrowing times to navigate the road.

Many use Banka Bazar road to reach Binod Behari vegetable market, Kazi Bazar and other areas.

“Traffic congestion has become a regular feature at Banka Bazar as there is no parking space in spite of the fact that it is one of the major commercial centres in the city. A number of people from nearby areas use Banka Bazar road to travel to Binod Behari, which is one of the major vegetable markets in the city after Chhatrabazar,” said Jaya Pradhan (35), a commuter.

The road is narrow and lack of adequate parking spaces at Banka Bazar ,which is also a prominent commercial centre as a number of whole sale cloth and retail market is located here, is causing all sorts of problems.

Banka Bazar road also acts as a link between Choudhry Bazar and High Court road.

“Since long, Banka Bazar road has been a shortcut for commuters to and from Choudhry Bazar and Orissa High Court. Many use the thoroughfare to avoid traffic congestion at Naya Sarak and Choudhry Bazar. But with the passage of time, Banka Bazar road too is failing to accommodate the rising number of automobiles in the city,” said Sanjit Gupta (34), a shop owner at Banka Bazar.

Traffic sources said a lot of steps have been taken to streamline traffic movement in the city. “The introduction of one-side parking at Naya Sarak has to some extent alleviated traffic congestion at Choudhry Bazar and Naya Sarak,” said a traffic official.

Following a high court order, a committee headed by police commissioner B.K. Sharma has been and a blue print to chalk out a plan to regulate and streamline traffic is being prepared.

Steps are also being taken to put a stop to parking in no-parking zones. A special drive was launched to enforce traffic rules and around Rs 14 lakh was collected as fine from violators last month. “In spite of encroachment, our effort has been to ensure that the traffic movement in the city is regulated in the best possible manner,” the official added.