Traffic jams have become the order of the day across Viziangaram town due to the ever-increasing number of vehicles and shrinking road space.
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Snarls are a regular sight at the MR College-PW Market Junction, Mill Junction-Ring Road, and Seven Lamps Junction. Goods vehicles that come for loading and unloading of essential goods at PW Market are parked on the road leading to the main branch of SBI, causing a major traffic snarl between Clock Tower Junction and Balaji Junction.
Another menace is the practice of auto-rickshaw drivers parking on the road to pick up passengers. The movement of heavy vehicles on Dharmapuri Road, which leads to Aainada Junction-NH, is also leading to traffic jams in the morning and evening.
Traffic has also significantly increased between Ashoka Theatre junction and Cantonment, leading to vehicles moving at a snail’s pace on the stretch. The police department is struggling to control the traffic jams at many places thanks to a dearth of staff in its traffic wing.
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“Vizianagaram is a major commercial hub. It is one of the main reasons for the movement of many vehicles, including heavy vehicles. Traffic and municipal authorities should chalk out an action plan for better traffic management in the town. They need to identify places for parking of heavy vehicles. It will avoid traffic jams to some extent,” said B. Sekhar, a trader.
Two years ago, the police department had conducted a traffic awareness programme with stakeholders and assured to minimise traffic jams across the town. However, many proposals, including installing traffic lights at several junctions and removal of encroachments, have remained only on paper.