Surat: City police may think that barricading Chowk Bazaar intersection for smooth flow of traffic has been a successful experiment for the last one year, but senior police officers need to be on ground to make an assessment of the real situation.Commuters travelling towards Adajan using Nehru Bridge over Tapi river have been flouting traffic rules to escape half-a-kilometre detour from Mahatma Gandhi statue towards the bridge. Commuters on two-wheelers and four-wheelers use a small lane behind Andrews Library to drive their vehicles towards Nehru Bridge to avoid going full circle.Since the lane behind Andrews Library is narrow, traffic coming from Nehru Bridge and menace of autorickshaws is causing traffic jams during peak hours. Police constables are deployed on main road, but they are turning a blind eye to the situation.Shop owner Sabir Bahrainwala said, “This narrow lane has become an escape route for the commuters wanting to cut short diversion from Mahatma Gandhi statue. The traffic situation is worse during peak hours. To top it all, auto drivers occupy half the lane, making it difficult for onward traffic. Traffic constables are hand-in-gloves with auto drivers who allow them to park their vehicles in the narrow lane. Despite complaints, police officers are not taking action against the commuters and the auto drivers.”Kadir Shaikh, a resident of a house in the lane, said, “I have made several representations to police department and civic body for stopping the nuisance of the auto drivers and the commuters using the lane to avoid the diversion, but in vain. We are not getting enough space to park our vehicles. The commuters drive haphazardly and cause several accidents.”A year ago, the city police decided to divert traffic from Chowk Bazaar intersection. The traffic going toward Adajan via the Nehru Bridge has been diverted from Mahatma Gandhi statue to avoid chaos during the peak hours. The experiment was successful until the commuters started flouting the diversion rules.Sudhir Desai deputy commissioner of police (traffic), told TOI, “Chowk Bazaar traffic junction is successful example of traffic management. Traffic personnel have been deployed to manage the traffic, but if commuters flout the rules then strict action will be taken against them.”

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