Patna: Beyond the 65-foot Rameswaram Temple replica, the Durga Puja setup at Boring Road roundabout has also brought the area’s traffic and encroachment problems into focus, which worsen during the festival.A major commercial and educational hub, Boring Road faces daily congestion, particularly after 6.30pm when coaching centres let out students. Shopkeepers blame roadside vendors for worsening the problem.“Traffic police focus on fining people without helmets rather than smoothing out traffic flow,” said Vineet Das, who runs a kitchenware shop near the roundabout. “Roadside vendors sell openly on the streets without intervention, but if shopkeepers like us keep a dustbin outside our shops, we are fined. Vendors need designated spaces,” he added.Das said regular shops suffer during the festival as customers avoid the area because of traffic, while street vendors see sales rise sharply.Locals said footpaths and roadsides were routinely occupied by vendors and parked vehicles, despite available parking spaces, leaving less room for pedestrians and traffic.Committee member Vinod Kumar said parking had been arranged in the central verge dividing the road. “Parking space is designated in the middle area that divides the road,” he said, adding that traffic is temporarily halted and diverted when crowds become excessive.Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) ensures bleaching powder spraying, fogging and dustbins at the venue, said Vijay Kumar.
