VARANASI: Estimating mammoth crowding on the already overcrowded Maidagin-Godowlia-Ramapura route during the forthcoming Prayagraj Mahakumbh 2025, traffic police have asked around 15 educational institutions to replace their big buses with small 12-seater cabs on this route used by Kashi Vishwanath Dham visitors.
Talking to TOI on Tuesday, ADCP (traffic) Rajesh Pandey said that most of the schools and other educational institutions are already using small buses or cabs in congested areas.
However, around 15 educational institutions are still plying big buses even in the areas between Maidagin-Godowlia crossings and Godowlia-Ramapura Road.
He added that these roads remain heavily crowded due to KV Dham visitors, with big buses leading to long tails of vehicles, which fail to overtake them.
To study the problem, teams of traffic policemen were engaged at different points. He added that these officers listed the numbers of big buses causing problems on these roads. During these exercises, it came to light that many buses were entering this route to collect two or three students.
After several days of exercises, the list was finalised, and the schools and other institutions on this list were asked to replace their buses with small cabs of a maximum 12-seat capacity by the end of December. Big buses will be banned from Maidagin to Ramapura via Godowlia from January 1, he said.
The congested Maidagin-Godowlia road has been overcrowded for decades due to having most of the wholesale as well as retail markets of different goods, Banarasi sarees, jewellery, paper, medicines, and others. Following the opening of the rejuvenated Kashi Vishwanath Dham area in December 2021, the crowd of pilgrims increased more than ten times compared to gatherings in past years.
The arrival of VIPs at gate number four of the temple increased the traffic pressure significantly. In view of the difficulties faced by pedestrians, devotees, and tourists, the district administration and police tried many plans, including declaring it a no-traffic zone and others, but none of them could sustain for long due to different reasons.
Officials said that as big school buses were increasing inconvenience in traffic management on these roads and the risk of accidents would increase in case of a further increase in the crowd, it was decided to ban them. Notices have been given to those schools to arrange cabs in 15 days as big buses will not be allowed from January 1, they added.