Cops want to shift auto stands to unclog Behala Chowrasta
Times of India | 12 July 2024
Kolkata: Eight auto routes originate at Behala Chowrasta and three more run through it. Police have to manage at least 1,200 autos at this busy crossing every day, besides the thousands of other vehicles. In a bid to unclog the intersection, police have suggested some of the autos park inside WBIDC Behala Industrial Estate. They also want hawkers to keep their goods in a warehouse at the estate.
The exercise is also a joint effort by traffic police and PWD to develop Behala Chowrasta into a model crossing and address parking challenges there. While KMC and PWD have agreed on the proposal on paper, the agencies are likely to approach the govt for final clearances. Sources said the model crossing, being planned at a cost of Rs 3 crore, will have pedestrian channels, refuge islands and AI-driven traffic signalling. “A new pedestrian lane is being carved out. The proposal for the model crossing has been upgraded and sent to PWD,” said a Lalbazar officer.
Police also want goods vehicles to be parked inside the estate as “the goods vehicle parking lot near the crossing will be a challenge once metro starts its Esplanade runs”.
Officers said parking of autos needed a “fresh approach”. “After the death of a Class III boy in an accident, we transformed the area. Hawkers were evicted and new pedestrian channels created. We marked out auto stands. But auto drivers refused to be disciplined,” said an officer. “We want a couple of auto stands to shift inside the estate. At least three routes start near metro gates. They may become a headache once the Esplanade services start.”