The ongoing edition of the International Kolkata Book Fair has seen at least 10 per cent more footfall and 15 per cent more sales than last year, according to unofficial estimates of the organisers.
The Metro factor
One big reason for this is the increased connectivity of Karunamoyee, given that the Metro route from Sealdah is fully operational this year.
A lot of people are coming to the Book Fair using the Metro, which in turn has lowered traffic snarls in the area. “I live in Baruipur in one of the recently constructed gated communities. To come to Salt Lake, I took the local train to Sealdah, followed by a Metro ride to Karunamoyee. The Metro is usually packed during office hours. But now, it seems to be crowded all the time because of the Book Fair rush. A lot of people from North and South 24-Parganas are coming to the Book Fair using the Metro. We had to depend only on buses earlier, but now the Metro has made the journey smooth,” said Rahul Das, a resident of Baruipur.
Metro authorities have recorded the highest weekend footfall with Saturday alone accounting for a commuter count of 51,263. The rise is undoubtedly due to the Book Fair-bound passenger load. Metro is running half-day services on Sundays from 12.30pm till 9.40pm specially to serve visitors to the fair.
An official at the Karunamoyee station ticket counter said: “The office-going crowd is constant. But we also have a family crowd, a student community and young people using the Metro for the Book Fair. We are working hard to keep the queues under control.”
Auto drivers tamed
The Metro option has eased the pressure on the roads. Earlier auto drivers, who tried to charge higher fares from customers, are not being able to do so now. Police authorities have threatened to levy hefty fines on any of them looking to charge visitors to the fair extra. Rajat Jana, who drives an auto from the Hudco crossing to Karunamoyee, said: “We have been warned by the cops that we would be slapped with fines as steep as Rs 5,000 if we charge extra. Earlier we, auto drivers, did charge more from people who were not from Salt Lake and not aware of the regular fares. But this time the police has decided to crack down on such practices with hefty fines.”
Raju Mondal, another auto driver plying on the Ultadanga-Karunamoyee route said: “The crowd from Ultadanga station to the Book Fair used to be four times what it is now. But now with the Metro available, people from the northern suburbs are taking that route. Those coming from Sealdah South station are not taking another train to Bidhannagar Road. They are just taking the Metro from Sealdah.” Auto fares to the Book Fir on this route vary from Rs 15-20. Earlier auto drivers charged as much as Rs 30-50 per head on peak days, but the fine has curbed that tendency.
There are also several special buses which are plying to the Book Fair from other parts of the city. These buses charge regular fares, with rates ranging from Rs 10-20 depending on the distance.
Parking plans
Several official buildings around the Book Fair have also been used for car parking. These include Bikash Bhawan, Purta Bhawan and Jalasampad Bhawan. However unlike other years, parking woes are not pressing. That is because several roads have been turned into no entry zones, for the benefit of the fair goers. Several roads in DJ Block and CJ Block have also been cordoned off, so that auto drivers and bus drivers too have to follow fixed routes to the fair and back. Private cars are also being redirected. Saibal Bose, a parking assistant, said: “The government buildings are used up for parking. However, last year there was great commotion and traffic snarls due to illegal parking on main roads. But this time we have blocked several roads as per traffic guidelines. This has eased the pressure quite a bit.”
Kabir Khan, one of the traffic constables on duty said: “The traffic, especially private cars, create chaos during the weekends. So we have closed movement on some roads in CJ Block and DJ Block and several lanes near the Karunamoyee flyover.”