Assam: Chaotic Traffic in Tinsukia; E-Rickshaws Cause Major Congestion

OUR CORRESPONDENT

TINSUKIA: The Tinsukia police and Transport Department have miserably failed to manage the chaotic traffic scenario in Tinsukia town. While the ever-increasing number of e-rickshaws pose accidental hazards, the Traffic Department is yet to develop any effective regulatory mechanism to streamline unruly vehicle owners.

Barring AT Road, in no other arterial roads like GNB road and Rangagora road, do police have control over unrestricted flow of traffic, leading to severe traffic congestion during peak hours. The dug-up roads after laying water pipes and drains add more misery to the commuters.

Police have been cautioned since past several years about the impending chaotic traffic arising out of the e-rickshaw menace but paid no heed to public inconveniences. Though the numbers of auto rickshaws have dwindled, numbers of e-rickshaws have increased many fold from few hundreds in initial years to thousands presently. Surprisingly, the majority of these e-rickshaws despite strict guidelines to put bars on the right side of the vehicles flout the directive leading to occasional accidents. Though accidents on these roads are frequent due to erratic driving, most of the cases are resolved through mutual settlement on the spot itself.

Tinsukia town has just 3 major traffic points namely SKF, Thana Chariali, and Tinkunia point and ever since the traffic lights were installed on these crossings, the demand for zebra crossings have been made but is yet to be fulfilled. While the Traffic Department says that it is the responsibility of Tinsukia Municipal Board (TMB), the TMB on the other hand passes the buck to police.

Though the district administration holds periodic meetings with the Transport Department and police on traffic and other related matters, these meetings appear to be just routine phenomena with no visible impacts on ground.

Also Read: Guwahati Traffic: Green Buses & E-Rickshaws Blamed