No respite from chaos for commuters at Anuvrat Dwar

SURAT: There is still no respite for commuters at the now infamous Anuvrat Dwar crossroads. Confusion prevails at this intersection of four junctions and 12 roads, making it an onerous task for daily commuters and residents in the area. While no cops are seen during most parts of the day and night to control the never ending traffic streaming in and out of all directions, there seems to be some hope of a little method in the present madness.The private contractor, who is in charge of the construction of the upcoming bridge at one of the four junctions at Anuvrat Dwar, has appointed private staff to handle the traffic at blind spots caused by the upcoming bridge. Executive engineer for SMC’s BRTS Cell, R V Gamit said, “The private contractor who is in charge of building the bridge has arranged his men to handle the constant traffic at spots around the construction, to ease the confusion and hasten work.”
But commuters who fail to follow rules and have little or no fear of the traffic brigade and continue to have their freewill at these points. The junctions at Anuvrat Dwar lead to several main areas within Surat which include lanes to and from City Light, Canal Road, Bhatar Road, VNSGU University Road, VIP Road and Vesu. “There is constant chaos because several main roads have their intersections here. It is very stressful for drivers who are all under tension and at the mercy of one another to spare their vehicles,” says Kiran Desai, professor at the Centre for Social Studies, Surat which is down the lane leading to VNSGU.
The densely populated surroundings of Anuvrat Dwar ensure that the roads are perennially used by BRTS buses, ambulances, trucks, dumpers, school buses, cars, tempos, two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws and cyclists. The honking and noise pollution caused by traffic jams adds to the woes to thousands who live in the neighbourhood. Special police commissioner V M Pargi said, “We will look into the matter and enhance the presence of traffic cops at the said spots. If anyone has been neglecting their duty, action will be taken.”
Meanwhile, for engineer Rahul Nair, who takes this route to commute between Pandesera and City Light daily, the Anuvrat Dwar has become a spot for praying. He says, “I call it Ram Bharose Dwar, as I say my daily prayers while trying to cross the killer traffic every day hoping that no one dents my vehicle.”