Paradip, Aug. 13: Operational hurdles have hit traffic management in the port township with hundreds of ore-laden lorries lying stranded on the road.

“In 2013, a similar traffic disorder had come to light when mineral ore transportation in Paradip was at its peak. Lack of co-ordination among various administrative wings of the port has made matters worse,” said Paradip Nagarik Manch convener Ayeskant Ray.

“The stretch from the port gates to Bhootmundei on the Paradip-Daitary Expressway is marked with traffic disorder with long queue of loaded trucks waiting for their turn to make their way to the port. This has become a routine affair since the past one week. Port authorities need to initiate immediate steps to end the harrowing traffic situation,” Ray said.
“I live near Nehru Bungalow. Trucks are occupying major portions of the road in our localities,” said local resident Ardhendu Das.

The authorities are restricting the number of pass permits to the cargo-laden lorries for gaining access to the port for unloading. As a result, the prevailing traffic disarray is being reported.

However, Paradip Port Trust sources attributed indiscipline on part of the local lorry operators for the prevailing mess. They said the ore-laden trucks were allowed entry to the port in accordance with the “first come first serve” operating system. But by flexing muscle power, the local operators are making a forcible entry to the port, paving the way for vehicular disorder.

In the past, officials of the Jagatsinghpur district administration, port trust and the National Highways Authority of India had sat together to resolve the issue of traffic jams. Keeping in view of recurrence of such mismanagement, it is high time for the authorities to formulate fresh strategies to restore the smooth flow of traffic.

However, port trust traffic manager Damodar Nayak said: “The port trust is doing its best for hassle-free movement of the trucks in the cargo handling area. A section of truck operators are perpetrating indiscipline, which had given rise to traffic jams. Besides, the weighbridge in the port had also developed a technical snag. As a result, there was a delay in cargo-unloading. Things have been sorted out.”