Jamshedpur: Flyers from Steel City, planning to board a flight from Ranchi airport, must start early on Thursday as the two main bridges connecting the NH-18 will be barred for vehicles from 11am to 4 pm due to President Droupadi Murmu’s scheduled visit.A traffic advisory issued by the city administration said traffic movement on both Dobo and Mango bridges, along with other roads in city, would be restricted due to the car-cade movement of the President, who is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the Jagannath Temple near Marine Drive and visit a private medical college in Baridih.
These two bridges are the city’s connectors to NH-18, the highway from Jamshedpur to Ranchi. As Jamshedpur does not have a full-fledged commercial airport, flyers have to go to Ranchi or Kolkata to catch domestic or international planes. More than 100 flyers from the city avail buses to reach the Ranchi airport on a daily basis.DC Karn Satyarthi and SSP Piyush Pandey visited the two spots, which the President is schedule to visit after landing at Sonari airport.Inter-state and inter-district buses, which operate from Bhuiyadih bus stand, would be available for passengers from Dimna Chowk on Thursday. “Those using private cabs to reach Ranchi airport can either start early and cross the Dobo or Mango bridge before 11am or take the Kandra route to reach Chandil, then drive towards Ranchi. The fares will be higher if the Kandra route is used to reach Ranchi,” said Mohan Singh, a city-based cab operator. Model and actor Titiksha Pal, who is planning to go to Ranchi to board a flight for Delhi at 5pm, said, “I have to leave the city before 11am so that I don’t get caught in the no-entry timings on Dobo bridge.”Teacher Oindrila Datta said, “I have to go to Kolkata by road to catch my flight for Dubai. Now, with traffic curbs in the city, I have to reschedule my road journey from Jamshedpur to Kolkata airport and leave home early.”Bus operators are also staring at financial losses due to traffic restrictions. Bus driver Rituraj said, “Passengers will be less than half as many won’t prefer to go to Dimna Chowk to catch buses. Many operators plan not to run their buses on Thursday as they have to incur huge financial losses. Those alighting at Ranchi airport and planning to come to Jamshedpur, will also face problems tomorrow.”
