Siliguri, May 6: The traffic custodians of the town are gearing up for an overhaul.

Proper parking lots and bus stops on Hill Cart Road and closing gaps in road dividers to prevent jaywalking will figure high on the list of priorities for police here.

This was decided after a detailed survey of the main thoroughfares in town, conducted over the last two weeks, by Darjeeling police superintendent Rajesh Subarno and additional superintendent, Siliguri, Biswaroop Ghosh.

The survey was made necessary by the chaotic proportions attained by the traffic in town. The need was accentuated by appeals made by the various merchants’ bodies and trade associations to address the problem.

“We have conducted a study on Hill Cart Road and the Sevoke Road areas and have already restricted the movement of autos on the latter and are enforcing curbs on illegal parking near,” Subarno said today. “On Hill Cart Road, one can hardly find a place to park vehicles. Buses and autos stop anywhere and everywhere.”

The police chief listed a number of steps that would be taken by his department to plug the loopholes.

“Demarcation of parking lots, regulation of parking near the roads and preventing pedestrians from using unauthorised gaps in the road dividers will be our first steps towards an organised traffic orientation here,” said Subarno.

Within 24 hours of completing the survey last Thursday, Nantu Das (22), died on Hill Cart Road just a few yards from the Siliguri traffic control room. He was trying to cross the road through a gap in the road divider when he touched a live wire.

The Hill Cart Road measures around 2.5 km from Mallaguri to Venus More. The entire road is bifurcated with an iron railing. Siliguri Junction, Air View More, Sevoke More and Venus More are the busiest places on the road.

“The town is growing by the day and we are consulting a private firm to streamline the traffic movement here,” said Bikash Ghosh, the mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation.