Kolkata: Accepting that the traffic “waiting time” has increased in office hours, the Kolkata Police commissioner on Tuesday promised respite in the next 24 to 48 hours even as commuters complained of slow vehicular movement for the second consecutive day.“We are aware of the situation right now. The waiting time (at crossings) have increased during the office hours… A lot of people arrive at key markets and malls in the city. This leads to frequent crossovers in large numbers. For this, we have identified certain spots and deployed DC-level officers to lead the police team and ensure smoother traffic flow… However, once the puja starts, things will ease out. Over 6,000 personnel from traffic police and another 6,000 home guards will hit the roads from Wednesday,” said Ajay Nand while meeting the press at Lalbazar during the launch of the Kolkata Police Durga Puja guide map.Nand claimed that segregating the huge influx of both pedestrians and vehicles before puja — and ensuring pedestrian crossovers do not block the key arterial roads — are the key to keeping the traffic normal in the city in the run-up to Durga Puja.Nand stated that no entry to roads or no parking was a necessary tool to control crowd movement. “Segregation of vehicles, as also pedestrians, is the key to keep the traffic moving. We are studying the situation and taking special measures,” said Nand.The city’s pace on Tuesday — Tritiya — remained slow all through the day with vehicles slowing up near Gariahat Crossing, Park Circus, Sealdah and Esplanade besides Tollygunge Phari or Mominpore. Flash protest against SIR at a few points added to the challenge. Commuters also faced a problem after several bus unions withdrew their services claiming police were requisitioning buses, a charge denied by Lalbazar.“I was travelling from Maniktala and it took me over 45 minutes to reach Sealdah even in the morning. This was way more time than on Monday,” said Anwesha Majumdar, a college student. Similarly, it took over 25 minutes to reach Esplanade from Moulali. Others claimed Maa Flyover remained slow for the second consecutive day.Multiple puja organisers said they were forced to open the pandals for revellers in the evening though a few final touches remain. “Tuesday and Wednesday are the last working days in multiple educational institutes. Several of them formed groups and were the early bird winners at most pandals that opened for revellers on Monday. Everyone kept asking for entry. We had to allow limited entry on Tuesday. The local MLA shall inaugurate our puja by 4 pm on Wednesday,” said Pijush Haldar, secretary of Ajeya Sanghati in Haridevpur.
