Commute to IT hub takes a hit as craters, breakdowns choke roads
Times of India | 6 August 2024
Kolkata: Techies heading to New Town and Sector V from different parts of the city had a harrowing time reaching office because of a battered and bruised stretch near Technopolis crossing. Motorists took more than 30 minutes to cross the 200-m stretch dotted with craters and potholes. Besides the rain, curbs imposed on traffic due to the Independence Day parade rehearsal near Police Training School and breakdowns added to woes.
The tail of traffic stretched to Maa and beyond in the south and to airport gate 1 in the north. Cops issued a warning at 9 am, informing motorists how vehicles from Race Course to Chingrigh-ata were moving “extrem-ely slow”.
“Due to the slow traffic on Chingrighata flyover towards Bidhannagar, north-bound traffic was affected on Bypass. The east-bound traffic on Maa and movement of vehicles towards the seven point crossing from AJC Bose flyover and on Bypass were also hit,” said an officer. The cops said the situation remained ‘perilous’ for two hours in the morning. School children were also affected.
TOI had reported last week how movement of heavy vehicles due to Metro work and incessant rain have left the road in front of Technopolis in Sector V in a dire state.
On Monday, craters got wider and deeper because of the last three days of relentless rain. Mud from the adjacent construction site, cordoned off by metro authorities, had also spilled on to the road. “It took me more than an hour to reach Technopolis from Chingrighata,” said Sourav Dutta, who drives to his office at Sector V. Ritesh Mukherjee, who drives to his Chandernagore from his Sector V office, said it usually takes him 90 minutes to travel the entire distance but on Monday it took him almost three hours.
Around 2.30 pm, a car broke down on Maa and a case under MV 190 (1) was registered against its owner. It took another 30 minutes for traffic to normalize. “We undertook an inspection with NDITA and metro officials on Monday,” said the officer.