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Vehicles ‘stationed’ haphazardly, commuters lost in traffic maze at Charbagh
The absence of a demarcation gives street vendors an opportunity to encroach the area; e-rickshaws, when parked next to street vendors, grab half of the total width of the road
LUCKNOW Motorists find themselves ensnared in traffic congestion and pedestrians struggle to navigate their way on the stretch outside the Charbagh Railway Station due to haphazard parking of e-rickshaws, autos, buses and street vendors also occupying space on the road.
A reality check by HT unearths the problems plaguing this area. Auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws and buses parked haphazardly close to the station’s entry and exit points, choke the entire stretch and the excessive number of other vehicles dotting the stretch compounds the problem.
“Navigating through the honking vehicles while trying to reach work on time is a struggle,” said Satyam Sundar, a daily commuter.
One of the main reasons for the bottleneck is that despite prohibited entry, e- rickshaws continue to operate in the area in disproportionate numbers. “e-rickshaws are parked here without any permission and block the way for others. Nobody does anything about this,” lamented Raunak Sahu, another daily commuter.
DEMARCATION YIELDS NO RESULT
The demarcation by the Lucknow Traffic police last year for street vendors and auto rickshaws apparently does not exist around the Charbagh area now. This leads to disproportionate crowding of autos and e-rickshaws outside the station, particularly at entrances.
The absence of a demarcation also gives street vendors an opportunity to encroach the area. e-rickshaws and autos, when positioned next to the street vendors, grab half of the total width of the road, leaving little room for other commuters.
“Street vendors stand right outside the station and when public transport vehicles are parked next to them, there is not enough space for commuters to move smoothly,” remarked Suraj Rajpoot, a local commuter.
YATAYAT SAHAYAK FAILS TO YIELD RESULTS
‘Yatayaat Sahayak’ workers tasked with curbing congestion here by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation fail to effective solutions to traffic woes. Every day, auto and e-rickshaw drivers get a ₹20 receipt to park properly in the area. But jams continue as these vehicles position themselves haphazardly in the presence of Sahayaks.
“I have never seen these workers make any effort to move the haphazardly placed rickshaws into an organized line. I think they are just here to give out the receipts all day,” said a bike driver.
Pankaj Dixit, chairman of Tempo Taxi Evam Autorickshaw Sanyukta Morcha, stressed upon better coordination among Yatayat Sahayaks, traffic police, and civil police for better traffic management.
Mohd Vakeel, an auto-rickshaw driver, suggested relocation of street vendors to spacious places and clear demarcations for auto rickshaws as measures to check congestion in the area.
“Enough traffic personnel have been deployed at Charbagh for better traffic management. Cops are there 24 hours keeping in mind the railway station,” said additional deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Ajay Kumar, adding that efforts are underway to further improve the situation. (Inputs from Sharmistha Shivhare)
