Surat: Autorickshaw drivers have become a major stumbling block to the concerted efforts of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and city police to ease traffic congestion at heritage square in Chowk Bazaar here.Few months ago, Chowk Bazaar intersection was closed with permanent barricading and dividers to ease the traffic flow, but auto menace has left the commuters high and dry, especially during peak hours.Residents commuting in this part of the city believe the situation has gone from bad to worse. Autorickshaw drivers literally occupy around 50 per cent of the road towards Nehru Bridge during the peak hours creating traffic jam.As per the figures available from Regional Transport Office (RTO), there are around 99,000 autorickshaws plying on the city roads. Around 3,000 autorickshaws are added to the city roads every year.At any given point of time, over 60 autorickshaws are parked on the road alongside the compound wall of the heritage square, which houses the 16th century Fort. During the peak hours, the autorickshaw drivers literally take control of the entire road, leaving little space for other vehicles.As per the arrangement made by the city police a few months ago, the Chowk Bazaar intersection was barricaded. Traffic coming from Bhagal and going towards Rander is diverted from Kamal Gali via Athwalines police station to State Bank of India (SBI) and Nehru Bridge. The autorickshaws are not allowed on Rajmarg from Chowk Bazaar to Bhagal for two hours each in the morning and evening. The traffic coming from Mughalsarai and going towards Adajan and Rander has to take a U-turn from Mahatma Gandhi statue and drive through the SBI and Nehru Bridge. The autorickshaws could be seen parked outside the SBI building and the compound wall of the heritage square. Even Sir JJ College Road is occupied by the autorickshaws."The traffic diversion system is good, but the major problem is of autorickshaws. The autowallahas park their vehicles in the middle of the road, leaving little space for commuters," a jeweller Nainesh Patchigar, who commutes daily on this road, said."The U-turn from Andrews Library is very narrow. For a heavy vehicle like city bus, it is difficult to take a U-turn. Still, the autorickshaws will not give way to the city bus and private cars," a shop owner at Chowk Bazaar Sabir Rangoonwala said.A senior police officer said, "Autorickshaws are a menace in the city. We hope that more city buses by the civic body will stop new purchase of autorickshaws. Otherwise, we are carrying out regular operations and checking drives to ease the traffic issues at Chowk intersection."

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