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The get-away

4 July 2008

Phuentsholing may be one of the most developed towns but judging by its appearance, it falls short of being a prosperous urban region. The rush-hour traffic along the crowded streets and the bottlenecks at the Phuentsholing Gate create tremendous traffic jams daily.

The streets are jam-packed with thousands of vehicles every day. Long lines of cars, buses, trucks and other vehicles are slowed down at the border gate for inspection. “There are around 14,000 vehicles which enter and exit the border gate and checking each vehicle at a time causes traffic jam,” said Ugyen Dorji, a BAFRA official.

The border officials are pressurized to check each and every vehicle which enters Phuentsholing. On the other side, the Indian Border Security Force checks vehicles entering Jaigaon. Consequently, a long line of vehicles crowd the gate, intensifying the already heavy traffic.

“There are countless vehicles entering the border gate and, when we check the vehicles, it causes heavy traffic jams,” said Ugyen. The vehicles stand in line for almost three minutes till they reach the main gate. The traffic situation has greatly affected the business sector.

“Every factory has more than 80 trucks carrying loads for them. When all the trucks are being checked at the entrance gate, it is paused for more than five minutes,” said a managing director requesting anonymity. The Pasakha industrialists are displeased that their productivity is affected as a consequence of heavy traffic scenario.

“If the government could build a separate entrance for heavy vehicles, it would ease the traffic and support our productivity,” said the managing director.

Apart from business entrepreneurs, pedestrians are also bearing the brunt. “It has become a wait and run situation while crossing a road. We’d never know when a vehicle might run over our legs,” said Lekden, a student on vacation.

The heavy traffic scenario has distressed many citizens. “The vehicles are increasing in numbers. But the traffic control mechanism is the age old one. This will only get worse if a solution is not sought,” said Namgay, a Phuentsholing resident.

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