Traffic regulation kicks off at Sealdah to manage increasing crowd at circulating area
The Statesman | 13 September 2025According to official sources, the traffic regulation plan has been devised around the canopy which is being constructed under the Indian Railway’s Amrit Bharat Scheme. As per the plan, the entire circulating area is to be divided into different lanes with the innermost one meant for auto rickshaw and three wheelers. The next lane will cater to yellow and pre-paid taxis. In both the lanes, auto rickshaws and taxis would be allowed to enter and pick up or drop the passengers only, as there will be no stopping lanes. A pre-paid taxi counter would also be set up for the passengers before pick up. According to the divisional railway office, the next lane which would be the second outermost would be kept for private vehicles and online app cabs or bike taxis. In this lane, vehicles would be allowed to enter and choose two different paths. One of the options would be that these vehicles would be allowed to exit this lane and come to the dropping point and wait for some limited time which would be decided based on traffic density. In the other option, they would be able to continue in the same lane for drop and exit. The fourth lane would be kept for emergency use will have vehicles going to parking or app-based vehicles coming from outside the Sealdah Station area for pick-up. This lane will also cater to VVIP’s vehicles.
According to the divisional railway manager of Sealdah, Rajeev Saxena, the work on the traffic regulation was started today. “Earlier, marking of the lanes was done but that could not be completed properly. Therefore, delineators are being installed on a temporary basis so that adjusting the lanes into smaller or bigger ones could be possible as per requirement,” said Mr Saxena. A close study of what kind of vehicles are entering which points and their density would be done. After the study, the temporary signages being put up now would be replaced by permanent ones,” he added.
As elaborated by the DRM, the traffic regulation concept would enable a clearly demarcated two main dropping points mainly meant for suburban passengers and at the location where mainly passengers of mail/express trains can directly enter the station premises and proceed to the designated platforms without criss-crossing the suburban bound commuters. “There will be defined pickup points at two locations from where the app based taxis can come and pick up the passengers,” reiterated Mr Saxena
