Traffic movement across Kolkata slowed down significantly on Monday as most schools in the city reopened their gates after a two-week winter break. The sudden influx of school-bound vehicles, combined with other factors, led to congestion at key intersections, forcing police to adopt special measures to manage the flow.
Police Switch to Manual Mode to Keep Vehicles Moving
To deal with the morning rush, traffic police officers had to employ hands-on strategies. At the busy Kasba area, cops were forced to switch their signals from automatic to manual mode near the Acropolis crossing to ensure vehicles kept moving. In other parts of the city, such as near Moulali and Bhowanipore, police held up traffic on one flank to give priority to vehicles heading towards schools.
Multiple Factors Behind the Gridlock
According to traffic officers, the school reopening was the primary cause, but several other issues compounded the problem. A one-hour morning disruption in Metro services pushed more commuters onto the roads, increasing pressure. The biting cold weather also played a role, with many children waking up late and families making a last-minute dash to school.
"Some local issues, like schools getting over earlier than usual and political camps eating into road space, added to the pressure," explained a traffic officer. They noted that the situation could have been worse, but traffic stabilized within an hour because a few schools in central Kolkata are yet to reopen.
Preparing for More Pressure and Final Exams
The police are bracing for further challenges in the coming days as the remaining schools reopen and many institutions begin their final exams in the next three to four weeks. Authorities have outlined a comprehensive action plan to manage the expected surge.
The realignment strategy includes:
- Strict monitoring and removal of illegal parking outside schools.
- Clearing broken-down vehicles from arterial and school approach roads.
- Recalibrating signal timings if necessary.
Specific areas like DH Road and Alipore Road in Kidderpore were already affected by the reopening of two schools, with congestion spilling over to Hastings and the zoo area due to ongoing Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) work.
Focus on Key Corridors and Parking Crackdown
Following meetings between Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) and Officers-in-Charge (OCs), the police have decided to focus on keeping four major stretches operational: AJC Bose Road, Park Street-Short Street-Loudon Street-Rawdon Street, APC Road, and DH Road.
The East and South Traffic Guards, which handle most of these school zones, have finalized local strategies. All free parking zones on Loudon Street, Rawdon Street, Short Street, and Moira Street will be suspended during school hours. Officers will be specifically deployed at the AJC Bose Road school parking lot, and some small detours are being planned.
Lalbazar police headquarters has reiterated a strict no-parking policy on roads leading to school gates. An officer stated that while some cars were left in no-parking zones during the winter break without causing issues, the department will now enforce the rules strictly to ensure smooth traffic flow as the academic routine resumes fully.
