Patna: A pilot project aimed at easing Patna’s chronic traffic congestion stumbled on its very first day, as a trial to convert the Atal Path service lane from Shivpuri to Digha into a one-way corridor failed to produce any meaningful change.
The district magistrate inspected the stretch on Tuesday and approved the plan, designed to ease gridlock during school hours in the Pataliputra and Atal Path area. But by Wednesday morning and afternoon, traffic looked much the same as usual, with vehicles continuing to ply in both directions.
Despite the administration’s claim that the service lane would operate as a one-way, no signage, barricades or enforcement were visible on the road. Traffic police officers, when questioned, said they had “not received any instructions to stop” vehicles approaching from the opposite direction.
The absence of basic preparations has highlighted what many see as a stark gap between the administration’s announced plan and its implementation on the ground. Residents reported that vehicles moving against the intended flow created the same bottlenecks the trial was meant to address.
The one-way trial was expected to ease pressure on the Pataliputra stretch during school rush hours, particularly where congestion spills over from Atal Path. But with no change observed during peak morning and afternoon hours, officials may now need to rework the strategy.
For the plan to succeed, administrators will likely need clearer instructions, proper signages, barricading and stronger coordination with traffic personnel. Without these measures, the attempt to streamline movement on one of Patna’s busiest stretches appears unlikely to achieve its intended impact.
