Traffic congestion at Jaunliapatty in Cuttack. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, April 22: Lack of planning has been leading to traffic bottlenecks on major streets of the city.

Jaunliapatty Road, which acts as a connecting link between different areas of the city is struggling to accommodate the ever-increasing number of vehicles in the city.

“Despite being a major commercial and residential area, there is no identified parking space. As a result, one can find vehicles parked on both sides of the road which creates problems in the smooth flow of traffic in the area,” said Somya Mohanty (25), a commuter.

According to Mohanty, there is heavy flow of traffic on the 1.5km stretch from Jaunliapatty till Manik Ghose Bazaar throughout the day. Due to the absence of a parking space and a system to streamline the traffic, there is no end to the woes of commuters.

Jaunliapatty Road acts as a shortcut between Nandi Sahi and Nayasarak. Many people depend on the road to avoid traffic congestion at the Choudhry Bazar crossing.

Likewise, a large number of commuters also depend on the road to travel to Manik Ghose Bazaar, Marwari Club and Rani Sati Road, which are also located here.

“As the road is a shortcut, there is always a heavy rush because vehicles coming from Manik Ghose Bazar, Townhall and Nandi Sahi converge at Jaunliapatty,” said DepakSethi (31), a resident of Bakhrabad area.

Local traders said due to the absence of a parking space, the customers are forced to park cars on the road, which sometimes creates problems for other commuters. “There is absolutely no scope for the expansion of this road, which is a vital link between different parts of the city,” said Kedar Agarwal (65), another commuter.

Traffic sources admitted that the traffic chaos on the road is because of the lack of the scope of expansion.

“Steps are being taken to streamline the traffic system in the city. New parking spaces have been identified as they will soon be made operational,” said an official. There are also proposals to install new traffic signals in different areas to regulate the flow of traffic. Steps were also being taken to create awareness and drives were being launched to put a check on illegal parking on prominent streets,” the official added.