The approach road to Tatanagar station will remain congestion-free from now.

Traffic police and the railway parking staff on Sunday initiated a drive under which parking of vehicles on the road along the station premises, including the entry and exit points, would not be allowed.

As many as 15 staff of the private parking agency manning the Tatanagar parking lot and two traffic cops were deployed on the road on Sunday.

Vehicle owners were either asked to park their two-wheelers or four-wheelers in the railway parking lot or leave the stretch after dropping off passengers.

“Vehicle owners tend to park on the road along the parking lot. As a result, the entire stretch along the station premises gets congested.

This practice inconveniences even those who keep their cars in the parking lot. The drive was necessary to address the issue,” said Vinit Kumar, one of the employees of the parking agency.

Another employee of the agency said the initiative would also preclude ugly arguments with car or bike owners contributing to congestion.

Traffic inspector Ashok Kumar, posted at Jugsalai, confirmed the development.

“The area outside Tatanagar station premises falls under the jurisdiction of Bagbera police station and Jugsalai traffic police. Ideally, removing congestion from the road along the station should have been the responsibility of the traffic police, but we cannot do the job allow owing to a staff crunch. Therefore, we have sought the help of the railway parking staff,” Kumar told The Telegraph.

The traffic inspector said a large number of vehicles used to be parked outside the station especially around the time trains such as Steel Express and Geetanjali Express arrived or left the station.

“We are sure that the road between Jugsalai and Parsudih will remain congestion free after the initiative we have taken,” the traffic inspector said, adding they will continue the drive unless the owners do not develop a habit to keep their get vehicles in the parking lot or away from the station area.

About 5,000 two-wheelers and 1,000 cars come to Tatanagar station daily either to drop off or pick up passengers.

About 10 per cent of these vehicles are parked outside the station premises to avoid parking fee.

People who use the parking have to pay Rs 10 for and Rs 20 for parking a two-wheeler and a four-wheeler for eight hours.