Asok, cops talk traffic

TT,  15 Jan 2019, Siliguri: Mayor Asok Bhattacharya held a meeting with officers of the Siliguri Metropolitan Police in his office here on Monday and discussed the traffic congestion in the town.

According to sources at the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, discussions were held on the inconveniences faced by the residents, particularly during rush hours. The mayor also handed over a set of proposals to the police officers and said the civic authorities wanted to work jointly with the police to address the issue.

Gaurav Lal, the deputy commissioner of police (zone II) who also looks after the traffic department, was present at the meeting.

Among the proposals put forward by the mayor to decongest some roads is realignment of parking spaces in some major junctions of the city along Hill Cart Road and Sevoke Road.

"Indiscriminate parking of vehicles on these roads reduces the space available for traffic. That is why realignment is necessary. Also, the Mela Ground of the Kanchenjungha Stadium, the ground floor of a multi-storied apartment on Bidhan Road and the bank of Mahananda river were some of the sites which the mayor has mentioned as parking areas.

In Siliguri, traffic congestion has emerged as a major problem as there is no restric- tion on vehicles of different kinds on most roads. Other than trucks, all other vehicles are allowed to move through the principal thoroughfares. Added to it is the entry of thousands of vehicles from outside.