Bhubaneswar, Nov. 1: Software professional Bikram Panda, a resident of Baramunda, has to struggle everyday to travel to his office at Patia.

"During peak office hours, it takes about 45 minutes to travel a distance of about two kilometres from Nayapalli to the intersection in front of Pal Heights at Jayadev Vihar," he said.

The stretch of the road from the point where the NH-5 flyover ends in front of Hotel Crown to Jayadev Vihar is approximately two kilometres. But due to traffic congestion and lack of traffic personnel to monitor the stretch, it takes more than 45 minutes to cover the distance during peak hours.

Many vehicles use the stretch to go to Patia. Several important establishments, such as Nalco office, Fortune Towers, Xavier University and KIIT University, are located on this stretch. The traffic congestion gets worse during peak hours. Vehicles coming from CRP Square via Ekamra Kanan add to the congestion on the road towards Patia before Pal Heights.

"There are no signals to manage the traffic at the point where vehicles from CRP Square, Acharya Vihar and Crown Hotel sides merge to go towards Patia," said Niranjan Kumar, 54, a physician who lives at Nayapalli. He said that autorickshaws and city buses parked on the roadside to pick passengers also added to the woes of the motorists.

Similar is the condition at the traffic signal at Jayadev Vihar Square where motorists face a tough time due to unrestricted movement of pedestrians during peak hours. Pedestrians can be seen jumping the road divider there and crossing the road here and there obstructing smooth flow of traffic. Haphazardly-parked vehicles on roadside outside Pal Heights also contribute to the chaos. Even as the stretch has been marked as a no-parking zone, vehicles continue to flout the rule. Although there is a provision for imposing a fine of Rs 500 on vehicles parked here, it has not proved to be a deterrent for errant drivers.

Regional Transport Officer-II Sanjay Kumar Behera said several issues plagued the stretch of the road. "I have done a detailed study of the area and identified reasons for traffic congestion on the stretch," he said.

Behera said that the study report has suggested relocation of the autorickshaw stand from Jayadev Vihar. Besides, a footpath and bicycle track from Jayadev Vihar Square towards Patia needs to be built. "What need to be done is to stop movement of pedestrians from Pal Heights side to the other side. Pedestrians jump the divider anywhere to cross the road," said Behera.

Though a foot overbridge has been constructed on the road in front of Pal Heights, no one uses the facility.

"During rain, water accumulates under the bridge at the traffic intersection," he said, adding that an underpass would be beneficial for the pedestrians.

Bhubaneswar deputy police commissioner Satyabrat Bhoi, however, said that traffic personnel had been deployed at the U-turn in front of Pal Heights to streamline vehicular movement. "More personnel would be posted to manage traffic at the intersection and strict action will be initiated against those who park their vehicles illegally at the intersection," he said.