Jamshedpur : Though movement of commercial vehicles is banned through the Kharkai bridge linking the steel city of Jamshedpur with the adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district but the drivers are able to cross the bridge by bribing the police personnel posted at the check post.
Though Kolhan commissioner Alok Goyal ordered the administration of both East Singhbhum district and Seraikela-Kharsawan district to ban the movement of commercial vehicles on the bridge but the vehicles are still moving. “ Though the ban has been imposed but the police personnel are willing to let them cross after greasing their palms.
The district administrations have not only put up sign-boards warning against the operators of the commercial vehicles, especially trucks and heavier vehicles, but have also deployed traffic cops on either side of the bridge for strict implementation of the directive. The ban was imposed on both the old and the new bridge.
Confirming about the steps, the deputy superintendent of police (traffic) Jagdish Prasad said that the administration will ensure that the traffic constables remain static at the Bistupur end of the Kharkai bridge. “At present the traffic police are posted near the bridge from 6 am till 10 pm. Rest of the period, the communication of vehicles over the bridge is occasionally handled by the district police” he noted.
The restriction on movement of the commercial vehicles was imposed for augmenting the revenue of Adityapur toll bridge set up over Kharkai river about 4 Kms away from the bridge set up by Public Works Department (road construction) over the same river.
The East Singhbhum officials said that they want to streamline the movement of heavy vehicle to and from the steel city by enforcing the vehicles to ply through the Adityapur toll bridge only.
The officials said the restriction of heavy vehicle through the Kharkai bridge is due to not only loss of revenue caused to the Adityapur toll-bridge but the safety of the second Kharkai bridge the approach road of which under construction and also for the safety of the commuters.
“The traffic police have been enforcing the law with a firm hand. But there is no respite to the increasing number of accidents. At the same time most of the city roads are narrow. Some are uneven and with curves. And most of the roadsides are thickly vegetated hampering the vision of road users,” said an official.
Sources went on to inform that more than 20 percent heavy vehicles tend to negotiate through the Kharkai bride, and in doing so they save toll-tax.
On an average around 2000 heavy vehicles move toward Adityapur industrial are every day, but due to lack of barriers and strict measures at the check points, about 300 vehicles pass through the Kharkai bridge.
The DSP traffic firther informed that a special police picket will be set up at the Bistupur end of the Kharkai bridge and the district administration will put up sign board declaring the Kharkai bridge is closed for the movement of heavy and light commercial vehicles. Similar arrangement will be made at the point on Tata-Kandra Road near the turning of Adityapur toll bridge’s Adityapur end also.