Patna: Efforts to ease chronic congestion in Patna’s Gaighat area have intensified, with district authorities announcing new tempo stands and a crackdown on illegal parking and encroachments along key routes.
Residents of Patna City have long complained of severe traffic snarls in Gaighat, particularly on roads linking JP Ganga Path with Ashok Rajpath, Court Road and NMCH Road. Illegal parking and roadside encroachments have routinely brought traffic to a standstill, leaving commuters and hospital-bound patients stranded for hours.
On Thursday, officials carried out a joint inspection of the area. Sub-divisional magistrate Satyam Sahay and additional superintendent of police Rajkishore Singh visited the stretch from Gaighat to the barrier via Danka Imli, accompanied by administrative and police personnel. During the inspection, they identified vehicles parked haphazardly along the roadside and multiple encroachments obstructing traffic flow. Authorities said the focus would now shift to implementing a permanent solution rather than temporary clearances.
A key decision taken during the visit was to remove the illegal tempo stand operating on Ashok Rajpath. Officials said an authorised stand would be developed on vacant land near the mixing plant on the northern side of the road. Another designated tempo stand is to be created under Mahatma Gandhi Setu on the southern side. Authorities warned that strict action would be taken against drivers found parking tempos on the main carriageway.
An encroachment removal drive was also launched under the bridge from Gaighat to Danka Imli and up to the barrier. Those occupying public land have been given 24 hours to clear the area, failing which forcible eviction will follow, officials said.
Traffic bottlenecks at the Danka Imli roundabout have been exacerbated by vegetable vendors occupying portions of the road. Although the municipal corporation has conducted repeated drives in the past, the problem has persisted. During Thursday’s inspection, shops encroaching on the roadway were removed. The SDO said plans were under way to shift the vegetable market to vacant land behind the bridge.
The administration also turned its attention to a vending zone created near the Biscoman roundabout. The site, originally designated to rehabilitate vendors from Danka Imli, is currently occupied. Officials said coordination with the municipal corporation was under way to clear the vending zone and relocate vendors in an organised manner.
Authorities said their objective was to make Gaighat traffic-free through systematic infrastructure measures and sustained enforcement. Regular monitoring and strict action against violations would continue, they added.
