Traffic rearrangement in English Bazaar, rickshaws to be axed

MALDA, June 30: Following administrative decision the English Bazaar Municipality (EBM) is planning to allow only 3,280 rickshaws in the town to reduce traffic congestion. “We have planned to allow rickshaws which are registered by the EBM. Rickshaws registered with Old Malda Municipalities (OMM) and other gram panchayat areas will be prevented from entering English Bazaar town”, the EBM chairman, Mr Narendranath Tiwari said. “English Bazaar Municipalty has given license to around 3,280 rickshaws. But nearly 10,000 rickshaws run every day congesting traffic. The Old Malda Municipalty had nearly 7,000 registered rickshaws and many of them depend on English Bazaar”, said Mr Tiwari.“Talks with the OMM officials to restrict movement of rickshaws in English Bazaar areas are going on but nothing has been finalised as yet,” sources said. However rickshaw pullers make most of the money from English Bazaar. According to the civic body chief, the civic body has also planned to paint rickshaws with a specific colour for identification displaying its license number. It also has plans to issue identity card for rickshaw pullers who has a license issued by the EBM. Under rearrangements of the traffic system in English Bazaar town the Malda SP had requested the civic body chief to restrict rickshaws from out side. “Rickshaws from gram panchayat areas will not be allowed here," the Malda SP said. Besides, according to the civic body chief, it was decided that pavements and parking zones, in several municipal markets would be evicted soon. n SNS