Kolkata: With buses dwindling on roads, phased suspension and short-termination of auto routes as part of Durga Puja traffic management left office-goers and metro commuters stranded during the evening rush on Wednesday.Kolkata Police began imposing the curbs 4 pm onwards, leaving commuters stranded at metro stations and major intersections just when they needed transport the most.Unlike previous years, police have decided against imposing a blanket ban on autos at fixed hours. Instead, routes were suspended, diverted or short-terminated depending on crowd pressure and traffic conditions around major pandals.While the flexible arrangement may prevent traffic paralysis, it also made the homeward journey unpredictable. For auto operators, the restrictions present a double challenge: accommodating regular passengers while navigating sudden changes on permitted routes.Pradip Das, an auto operator on the Behala–Rashbehari stretch, said the biggest concern is uncertainty over how long services can continue. For commuters, the problem is more fundamental. Metro services bring them closer to home, but without autos, completing the remaining distance has become an ordeal. Sunirmal Dasgupta, a New Alipore resident and regular metro commuter, said the growing dependence on autos has made the city’s transport system particularly vulnerable during such restrictions.Teesta Roy, a Behala resident, said there were few dependable alternatives after getting off the metro.The restrictions also put additional pressure on the limited number of buses operating along several stretches. Passengers unable to get autos had to walk longer distances, switch between multiple modes of transport and pay through the nose for app-based transport.Police, however, maintained that regulating autos is essential to prevent crowd surges around major pandals from bringing arterial roads to a standstill. “Traffic management will be particularly challenging around Rashbehari Avenue, Tollygunge Circular Road and other busy puja corridors,” an officer said.
