Daily Commute Challenges: The Patna-Buxar NH Traffic Woes
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Patna, Dec 25 (NationPress) The issue of traffic congestion on the Patna-Buxar National Highway-922 has evolved into a chronic and grave challenge, especially in the Shahabad region. This situation leads to major disruptions for those commuting in the area. The primary driver appears to be the intense flow of trucks carrying sand from the Son river's bed, aggravated by disorganized parking by various vehicles and a lack of effective traffic management interventions.
On the Koilwar six-lane bridge, trucks monopolize the southern lane, creating a bottleneck where little space is left for other vehicles. Despite daily fines amounting to lakhs, no significant improvements have been observed.
Smaller vehicles contribute to the traffic chaos, causing additional bottlenecks that exacerbate the congestion. Although a six-lane bridge was constructed to alleviate traffic, ineffective enforcement of traffic regulations leads to daily gridlocks.
Commuters, such as teacher Urmila Devi, experience a dramatic increase in travel time for relatively short distances, which adversely impacts both productivity and quality of life. “As a teacher in Mehandaura government school, located 40 km from Kulharia, I normally require about one hour to reach my destination. However, due to the trucks obstructing the roads starting from Sakkaddi, travel time can extend to two or even three hours,” she shared.
Other roads, including the Sahar-Sakkaddi state highway and Ara-Chhapra National Highway, converge onto the Patna-Buxar four-lane National Highway, leading to traffic bottlenecks from Bihta to Ara.
At the Manbhavna turn on Patna-Buxar NH 922, police officers are redirecting sand-laden trucks away from NH-922 towards Chhapra, which results in ongoing traffic congestion.
Road construction near Kolharampur on the Ara-Chhapra highway forces trucks to use the eastern lane, causing intermittent blockages. Additionally, trucks entering no-entry zones and recklessly overtaking are significant factors contributing to the gridlocks.
Traffic DSP Manoj Kumar Sudhanshu stated, “We have deployed extra police personnel on this stretch and at intersections to help alleviate traffic. We are also issuing challans to traffic violators, particularly truck drivers.”
“To facilitate smoother movement and prevent overtaking, restrictions are being placed on sand-laden trucks. Enhanced supervision is now in effect to ensure adherence to the new lane regulations,” Sudhanshu added.
The ongoing traffic jam issues indicate a pressing need for more comprehensive, systemic changes in traffic management and infrastructure planning to effectively tackle the persistent congestion.
