Congested thoroughfares to be made one-way

CUTTACK: In a bid to handle the mounting vehicular burden on the roads and consequent traffic problems, the Commissionerate police has started to effect one-way system on some of the most congested thoroughfares of the city. The first of the streets that would go one-way is the Ranihat stretch from the Ranihat Square to the Taladanda Canal bridge. As per the decision taken by the Traffic Management Committee, vehicles going through the road would now have to take a detour from Mochi Sahi towards Medical Road and then turn right from the Eats Restaurant Chhak to pass through the Canal embankment and access the main road. Vehicles coming from the Medical Road would also have to take the same route from Eats restaurant. The police on Tuesday carried out an eviction drive on the stretch to clear all encroachments and widen the space. The widened road would now be demarcated clearly with white laning and also providing for parking spaces on the sides. The stretch is lined up with diagnostic centres, medicine shops and pharmaceuticals as it is in vicinity of the SCB Medical College and Hospital and thus is thronged by hundreds of patients seeking diagnostic services or medicines. “Hundreds of vehicles, from cars to ambulances, have to be parked along the facilities and thus we have also to provide parking space for them. The clearing of encroachments has revealed wide space that can be utilised for the purpose,” said a senior officer. One-way systems would be followed up at Pithapur Road, the major wholesale market in the city. The narrow road from Dolmundai through Pithapur leading to Chowdhury Bazaar is congested due to the tremendous inflow of floating population for trade and business purposes. Plans are to restrict inflow of traffic from Choudhury Bazaar side to Pithapur and only allow the opposite. Those coming in from Choudhury Bazaar side will have to access Dolmundai by taking Haripur Road. Plans have also been firmed up to introduce one-way traffic system, restricting entry of three and four wheelers on the Balu Bazaar-High Court stretch during office hours to tackle   congestions and traffic jams, sources aid.