Sealdah: The absence of an effective passenger dispersal system will plunge the area around Sealdah station into chaos once East-West Metro becomes operational, police fear.
The daily passenger footfall at Sealdah station is set to go up from 16 lakh to 20 lakh once trains start plying on the East-West Metro route, which will connect Sector V with Howrah Maidan.
During a recent survey, Calcutta police learnt from officials of the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) that no "dedicated pathway" had been planned for most of these passengers, who would not head for the Sealdah station of East-West Metro.
KMRC is the implementing agency of East-West Metro.
"A subway will be built for commuters to walk from Sealdah railway station to the Metro station or back. But there is no subway or any other dedicated pathway for passengers heading towards NRS Medical College and Hospital or Beleghata," an officer of Calcutta traffic police said.
"What it means is that lakhs of such passengers will be forced to make their way through the space in front of the station where cars, taxis, app cabs, Matadors and other vehicles converge. Think of the chaos once it happens."
The police have sought a detailed report from the KMRC on the exact space that would be made available in front of Sealdah Main station once the East-West station, being built near the Sealdah court, starts functioning.
"There is no scope for building any subway through which passengers can reach AJC Bose Road, APC Road or the road leading to Beleghata," said an official of the ITD-ITD Cementation, the consortium that is building the underground East-West Metro station.
KMRC officials said discussions were on with the transport department to find out ways to improve the passenger dispersal system in Sealdah.
Rites, the consulting agency under the railways, has been asked to consider whether a flyover can be built to connect Sealdah station with the bridge over the railway tracks near Beleghata.
The agency has also been asked to explore the possibility of building an elevated bus terminus at the Rajabazar tram depot.
"We are discussing several plans related to the passenger dispersal system in the Sealdah station area. There is no quick-fix solution," an official in the transport department said.
