[Patna and its perennial traffic problems… Yogesh write on how it feels to travel from East Boring Canal Road to St Xavier’s College]
Photo by Deedar
Too many people and too many vehicles are the main barrier when you have to reach somewhere on a given time. Patna really needs more flyovers. Every day I lose my patience while riding my motorbike to Digha from East Boring Canal road. At the distance of 500m from Rajapur the struggle in the traffic begins. It feels like my watch begins slowing down. Time crawls to a standstill.
The place gets crowded especially in the evening. There are many temples big and small along the narrow road. The road is always busy with the people spilling out of the temples, and others who come out to buy vegetables from the many vendors who encroach on the road. And then of course the vehicles: bikes, auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws, tuk tuks, cars of all sizes, horse carts (tum tum). And not to forget holy cows who park themselves wherever they please.
The road coming straight from Gandhi Maidan is diverted at the Rajapur Bridge so they also have to go through the East Boring Canal Road which adds to the traffic. I have seen people shouting at each other to move first and the auto drivers are another tension. They move and stop whenever and wherever they wish. They don’t care at all for any traffic rules.
Yesterday, it took me half an hour to be free from the traffic. Somehow, when I reached the Rajapur corner I lost my patience. I saw more traffic ahead. Many people wre crowding the road. There were many temporary stalls selling sweets, toys and snacks. It was like a mela (village fair). It was a kind of feast on that road. While talking to some locals I came to know that they were celebrating Pursia Mela, which is celebrated after the month of Shravan is over.
We always have some kind of festivals but are not bringing any happiness ,they rather add up to our struggles.
Patna aims to be a smart city but can never be one without solving the traffic problem. If the government is allowing more and more number of vehicles to run on the roads then it should also be having a good traffic management plan.
[ Yogesh Kumar, Newsnet Intern]