Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Two years ago, an over-bridge was constructed at Bengali Square on Ring Road with the hope of easing the daily traffic jam. However, the bridge has failed to deliver its purpose.
Due to a major technical flaw, no stairways were built for passengers of city buses and public transport to move up and down.
As a result, buses avoid using the flyover and instead continue to ply on the service road, stopping right at the busy square to pick and drop passengers. This daily practice leads to long traffic snarls on both sides, leaving commuters frustrated.
Local residents and commuters passing through the square complain of being stuck in traffic for long periods despite the presence of the flyover.
Councillors have raised the issue several times with the authorities, including the Municipal Corporation, PWD and traffic police, urging them to restrict buses from using the service road.
The demand is simple: all public transport vehicles coming from Khajrana, Bombay Hospital or Musakhedi should be directed to cross via the flyover. But despite repeated complaints, no action has been taken.
Highlighting the problem, social activist Dinesh Surana from The Art of Living explained that the root cause lies in the absence of passenger stairs on the bridge.
Now that construction is complete, there is no space to add stairways. As an alternative, Surana suggests installing two small lifts on either side of the bridge for pedestrians. He further recommends placing iron girders at a fixed height over the service road so that buses cannot pass through.
According to him, this is the only practical solution to permanently ease congestion at Bengali Square. Surana has appealed that the matter be taken seriously in the interest of the public, so residents are freed from daily bottlenecks.
