Siliguri: The new commissioner of Siliguri Metropolitan Police who assumed office on Wednesday picked up traffic congestion in the town as the first issue of priority that needs to be addressed.

BL Meena who took charge from Sunil Chaudhary, the outgoing commissioner, here said: "Traffic congestion in Siliguri and its surrounding areas is an issue on which we need to work. A new traffic control room has been set up and mapping of vehicular movement is in progress. We will identify the congested areas and speak with local people and stakeholders on how to improve traffic congestion across the town."

According to sources, increase in vehicles is one of the major problems in Siliguri that leads to severe traffic congestion on major roads of the town, particularly on Hill Cart Road, Sevoke Road, Bidhan Road and parts of Burdwan Road and Station Feeder Road. A stretch of NH31 and even some portions of NH44 are also congested.

Managing traffic on these roads and ensuring smooth movement of vehicles is a major challenge faced by traffic police every day, particularly during rush hours.

The situation further complicates during festive seasons and major political events.

To handle traffic movement, a control room was opened in the town on March 17. The room is equipped with monitors screening videos of 115 CCTVs installed across Siliguri and 10 automatic number plate readers (ANPRs). Also, rumble strips have been put at various locations to check rash driving and speed.

A police officer said green lanes or separate lanes for fast and slow moving vehicles were created on some stretches of the Hill Cart Road. "Even then, the problem remains. This is because unless the slow-moving vehicles are restricted on the roads, there cannot be much of an improvement," said the officer.