The first day of the closure of Tallah Bridge for its dismantling, caused traffic bottleneck in some pockets of the area. Officials of traffic department and members of bus operators’ union had a hard timed handling the traffic in the area. It being the first day, several bikers and owners of private cars were taken by surprise to find the bridge closed. With the motorists claiming to be unaware of the route diversions, traffic officials faced a challenge in managing the logjam during the first half of the day.

With the day progressing, the vehicular congestion increased. Traffic officials accompanied by members of the North Kolkata Bus Mini Bus Owners’ Association handled the situation. They observed the outcome of the diversions and noted the problems triggered due to the implementation of the new route. The entire stretch of Cossipore Road was found to be one of the major traffic bottlenecks where two-way vehicular movement caused a logjam. The officials felt there was a dire need to use dividers on the road to separate the vehicles moving in the two directions.

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Similar problems occurred near Sinthi More. The vehicles heading towards Sinthi More and entering Cossipore from Lockgate, also faced difficulties. Bus operators felt that a dedicated bus lane could bring a solution to the problem. This apart, the lane from Chiria More to Sinthi More wass clogged with vehicles. Khagen Chatterjee Road and Belgachhia Station became other pockets where gridlocks took place. A major problem was seen near Belgachhia Station, where passengers while getting down buses, triggered a logjam.

The bus operators have suggested that if a lane is made available for passengers to get down, the problem of congestion can be resolved. While the Belgachhia Bridge was comparatively empty, there was a huge traffic jam from the station till Milk Colony. The logjam is being caused mainly because Metro commuters from Belgachia Station are cross the road and wait for buses. Although the load on the Belgachia Bridge has been reduced, the traffic logjam in the area has gone up.

The traffic department is said to have ordered 50 guard walls for using them at places where two-way traffic needs to be separated. The officials will also have a review meeting with the bus operators after 15 days. “The situation will be monitored again on Monday. Once the people become familiar with the diverted route, the problems are expected to be resolved,” said Pradip Narayan Bose of North Kolkata Bus Mini Bus Owners’ Association.