Large tourist buses that remain parked along Marquis Street in central Kolkata are triggering snarls on the road and narrowing the street, residents in the area have alleged.
When several buses remain parked together, the movement of other vehicles along the road slows down, they said. The buses are often parked on both sides of the road, making the situation worse.
A fairly long street in central Kolkata that connects Chowringhee Lane and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Marquis Street has heavy traffic almost throughout the day.
The problem of buses remaining parked is particularly acute on the stretch between Free School Street and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, The Telegraph found.
“It is a terrible situation every day. It takes several minutes to pass a stretch that could have been crossed in half the time. Large and wide buses remain parked and the road space gets shrunk,” said one resident.
“We, the residents of the area, cannot take out our cars. Our daily commuting has become such a difficult task.”
A fire tender caught in a snarl on Marquis Street on Tuesday. Pradip Sanyal
An officer of Kolkata Police’s traffic department told The Telegraph that road was a free parking zone. The police have not declared it a no-parking zone. “Parking a vehicle there is not illegal. It is a free parking zone, but if vehicles are parked in two lines, then it is illegal. We do prosecute vehicles that flout rules,” said the officer.
According to him, the buses ferry tourists who stay in hotels in the area and come to pick up and drop them. “We have to give them some time to pick up and drop tourists,” he said.
Some residents said a few buses remain parked along the road for hours.
The problem is worse from 10.30am to 12.30pm and from 3pm to 4.30pm, said a resident of the area. “This is a new problem. The buses are being parked along this street for the last six months. They are using the road as a terminus,” he said.
On Tuesday, Metro found a fire tender stuck in the snarl on Marquis Street. A resident alleged it was common for fire tenders to get stuck there.
The street is lined with hawkers’ stalls and small stores. The absence of footpaths forces pedestrians to walk on the road. Cycle rickshaws also ply on the street, though they are not supposed to.
Residents said the combined effect is long snarls daily.
One resident said after they approached the police about two months back, things were regulated for some days but the parking problem has resumed.