Summary:
The commuters had to opt for alternative routes to avoid traffic chaos.A traffic inspector said, “Due to increasing volume of vehicles returning and entering mela campus, the streets were crowded.” He added “additional traffic policemen and personnel of para military forces were brought to streamline the traffic.” Allahabad: Two days after the last shahi snan of Basant Panchami, devotees and pilgrims had to wait for hours for the traffic to clear on Buxi Bandh road on Tuesday.The authorities could not streamline the flow of vehicles coming out from more than 30 temporary parking slots being set up at Jhunsi and Naini pockets of the city. Personnel of CRPF were deputed to clear the route.Vehicles were moving at a snail’s pace between Phaphamau Canal Bridge road towards Malak Har Har on Allahabad –Lucknow highway on the second consecutive day on Tuesday.“We were trapped in traffic jam at Buxi Bandh road for more than two hours and there were hardly two policemen managing to clear the route,” said Lalima Dubey returning from Kumbh adding “after being trapped and devotees created ruckus, a group of CRPF personnel along with traffic policemen reached the spot to clear the route,” she added.Another commuter RK Pandey said “I opted the Buxi Bundh road to return my village in Handia but got trapped in massive jam.” He added “After being trapped in massive jam, commuters were not able to back their vehicles as it was two to three kilometer long jam from both sides.”As two railway crossings also fall on Buxi Bandh road connecting Daraganj to Allahpur, the passing of trains also compounded their woes when railway crossings were closed.The number of vehicles went on piling up one after one and commuters were not able to move little a bit and accused district traffic police authorities for their apathy.Secondly, commuters travelling near Balson crossing and adjoining areas were also trapped in jam following the agitation of SP workers..