Bus bays are the latest addition to the long list of traffic management initiatives that have backfired in the city. Last year, corridors for the exclusive use of buses were demarcated on eight busy thoroughfares to minimise snarls and allow easy flow of vehicles. But most buses ignore the bays creating more snarls on the narrowed carriageways. The majority of the bays now serve as free parking lots. There are provisions to fine bus drivers as much as Rs 2,000 for not using the bays, but police do not do so. Metro visits three bus bays in the city and finds out why they do not work:

Kankurgachhi

What we saw: Almost a third of the stretch between Kankurgachhi and Ultadanga has been earmarked as a permanent bus bay. Most drivers, however, ignore the 500-m long channel. With the effective width of the carriageway reduced, bottlenecks are common, especially near Hudco crossing.

Some restaurants on the stretch park vehicles used for home delivery in the bay. Trucks also park in the bay to deliver goods to roadside shops.

Bus drivers claim that using the bay slows them down and results in loss of revenue. “Buses can only move in a single file down the bay. While a bus is stuck in it, another plying on the same route can skip the bay and take away all the passengers,” said a driver on a BBD Bag-Birati bus route.

Police voice: “We deal severely with drivers not using the bay and slap hefty fines on them. But when there is no sergeant in the vicinity, they disobey rules,” said a sergeant on duty at Hudco crossing.

Chittaranjan Avenue

What we saw: The bus bay in front of Medical College and Hospital has vanished in the past month. The police removed the temporary dividers because Esplanade-bound buses were not using the bay. Instead, two-wheelers and four-wheelers park there.

Drivers said the bus bay was ignored because of faulty planning. “Creating bays everywhere is not a solution. Buses bound for Esplanade from Mahatma Gandhi Road have the entire road to themselves. Suddenly, near Medical College and Hospital, the road space is reduced. All buses try to enter the bay and leave quickly. This creates a bottleneck and results in mishaps,” said a driver on route 30C.

Police voice: “We removed the dividers because the buses were not using the bay causing snarls at the Colootola-Chittaranjan Avenue crossing. Fines are an option but there are not enough traffic sergeants to haul up errant drivers,” said a sergeant.

APC Road

What we saw: Here, too, almost a third of the road near the approach to Sealdah flyover has been demarcated as a bay that is rarely used by buses.

“Since the bay was created, buses do not stop near the footpath. Commuters have to risk standing in the middle of the road to catch a bus,” said daily commuter Indraneel Laha.

Police voice: “We have undertaken many drives to persuade drivers to use the bus bay but not much has been achieved. As soon as the vigil is relaxed, drivers start violating the law,” said a sergeant on duty.