Survey on traffic management

MALDA, Feb 19: The Malda district magistrate Mr. Sridhar Ghosh has asked the English Bazaar Municipality (EBM) to conduct a survey for a new traffic management system in Malda town following complaints from various quarters. The vice chairman of the EBM Mr Dulal Sarkar said that the district magistrate had asked the EBM to submit proposals for a new system after the survey was completed. “The district magistrate will call a meeting on the matter soon but the date has not been fixed yet,” Mr Sarkar said. “We are planning to rearrange the present traffic management system following complaints from local people and public representatives. We would take a few days more,” he added. The district administration rearranged the traffic management system and issued notifications to this effect months earlier during the tenure of the then-district magistrate Mr CR Das. A range of individuals, including rickshaw pullers and political leaders subsequently objected to a one way traffic system in which rickshaws were barred from some roads. The former Malda Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati and senior CPI-M leader Mr Somen Pandey criticized the system when rickshaw pullers started to claim a double fare for short journeys. The English Bazaar Congress MLA Mr Krishnendu Choudhury said: “The administration did not call us to finalise the traffic rearrangement system before notifying the public. The police planned the traffic system according to their wishes, which was not scientific. I have asked the administration to rethink the present traffic management system." The EBM, following instructions from the administration, has attempted to restrict the movement of unauthorised and unlicensed rickshaws. n SNS