CONRAD DIAS
Ranchi, Nov 15: The narrow service roads that have been made for commuters amid the flyover construction from Kanta Toli chowk to Siromtoli chowk has become a point of regular road mishaps.
A resident of Bahu Bazaar said that the construction area near Bishop School to the Khadgadha Bus stand has a very narrow road and many times auto-rickshaws and even buses operate on the route.
“On average, every day we see around two to three minor road accidents in our locality because due to the drilling, the road has become slippery at a few points which are dangerous for commuters using two-wheelers,” said Pratik Kujur, a resident of Bahu Bazaar.
When the construction work started a few months back, the route for auto rickshaws and buses was diverted to another route to avoid unnecessary traffic jams but these rules are not being followed anymore.
The autos and e-rickshaws going to Kantatoli Chowk from Birsa Chowk, Doranda, Overbridge, and Sujata chowk were being diverted from Bahu Bazar Chowk. They were routed from Bahu Bazar Chowk via Karbala Chowk, Mission Chowk, Plaza Chowk, and Nucleus Mall Chowk to reach their destination.
“At present, we have diverted the majority of the autos and other vehicles to another route that should be used. However, many autos are still using the old route and we are warning them and also fining them regularly for the offence,” said a traffic cop at Kanta Toli chowk.
Moreover, during peak hours (9-11 am and 5-8 pm), the commuters also face the problem of major traffic jams in these areas.
Lagatar24.com tried to contact the construction company of the flyover Infracon Pvt. Ltd to know why the condition of the service road is not up to the mark and is filled with potholes but officials were not available to give a statement.
Notably, on November 1, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren inspected the progress in the construction of the Yogada Satsang Ashram-Kanta Toli-Kokar flyover and instructed the Jharkhand Urban Infrastructure Development Company (JUIDCO) and the construction company to complete the construction by April 2024.