The snarled-up traffic on Kona Expressway and Durgapur Expressway caused by repair of the Santragachhi railway overbridge has come as a big blow to Bengal tourism.
The Kolkata Traffic Police has come up with a new set of traffic guidelines for Santragachhi, restricting movement of goods vehicles on the overbridge, Vidyasagar Setu and adjacent roads. But traffic movement is far from smooth.
Repair work in progress on the Santragachhi overbridge Soumyajit Dey/My Kolkata
Hours of waiting in traffic have become a norm despite all efforts by the Kolkata and Howrah traffic police departments. And, with no solution in sight any time soon, road trippers seem to be giving popular winter tourist destinations like Digha, Mandarmani, Santiniketan and Baranti a miss.
South Bengal tourist spots bear the brunt
End-November to the first week of February is one of the prime tourist seasons for Bolpur and Santiniketan. Sudhesh Poddar, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of East India, said resorts and hotels in the region have already seen a 15 to 20 per cent drop in booking because of the traffic snarl. “A large number among the tourists travel by road and it is taking them at least a couple of hours more to reach Bolpur from Kolkata. The season has just begun and the traffic woes are likely to stay on even during Poush Mela (end-December). This will be a major setback for tourism in the region,” he said.
Tourists have thinned at (clockwise from top left) Santiniketan, Baranti and Mandarmani because of the increased travel time Shutterstock and My Kolkata
Mandarmani is facing a worse crisis with barely 30% of the usual bookings for November and December. “Despite several trains plying, Kolkata tourists prefer the bus to Digha and Mandarmani. Now, it is taking them more than seven hours for a one-way trip. This has made many stay away and we are bearing the losses. This is one of the worst times for us,” said Sushanta Karati, the owner of Zaika Inn at Mandarmani.
Baranti in Purulia is another popular weekend destination that has been affected. The travel time between Kolkata and Baranti has gone up to seven hours by road. “For some unknown reason, the tourist flow to Baranti has dropped this year and now the Santragachi bridge repair has made things worse. Today a guest, a bike rider, complained about the traffic condition in Santragachhi,” said a manager at Baranti Eco-Tourism resort.
No tourists from other states
Many tourists also come from outside the state and that too has taken a beating. “For Poush Mela, tourists come from different states. But to reach Bolpur, they must cross Kolkata and the problem starts there,” Poddar said.
A bus carrying a group from Tamil Nadu on their way to Durgapur to attend a wedding was stranded at Santragachhi for more than eight hours last Saturday,
“Vehicles trying to get in and out of Kolkata via NH2 via Dakshineswar are also creating congestion in the area,” said a senior police officer from the Howrah traffic department.
"Driving down to Santiniketan from Kolkata for Poush Mela has been a norm for us as a family for many years now. But this time, we have been advised to take the train because highway traffic is a mess,” said the Guptas from CR Park in Delhi.
Train bookings up
Train rides have gained preference among tourists. Kolkata-based software engineer Srijit Majumder and his wife had planned a road trip to Simlipal, Odisha, in the second week of December but are now thinking of booking train tickets instead.
“We have heard of the traffic congestion and are now looking for other options. A less adventurous trip is better than a painful one and anything is better than waiting in traffic for hours,” Majumder said.
IRCTC has also registered a slight rise in ticket sales. “The bookings to these places have increased by about 10 per cent. There may be several reasons, but Santragachi bridge repair is definitely one,” said Zafar Azam, group general manager of IRCTC, Kolkata.
Murshidabad and Nadia in demand
Destinations along NH 12 (previously known as NH 34) have become new favourites for tourists from Kolkata. Hotels and resorts in Nadia, Murshidabad and South 24-Parganas have seen a sudden flurry of bookings.
Tourists are heading for (clockwise from top left) Sunderbans, Murshidabad and Bakkhali instead Shutterstock and My Kolkata
“If they cannot go to Bolpur or Mandarmani, they are travelling to Murshidabad, Nadia, Sunderbans and Bakkhali instead. There are several beautiful places and one can enjoy a nice weekend trip there,” said Anil Punjabi, chairman of the Travel Agents Federation of India (East).