BARPETA, Dec 16 � Though it is hard to believe in the modern scientific age, it takes one hour to travel a distance of a mere 19 kilometres from Barpeta to Barpeta Road by bus. The slow pace of movement and haphazard stops of the buses plying on the busy road add to the wastage of time and traffic-related problems.
After starting from the stop at Barpeta or Barpeta Road, the bus will move just five to 10 kilometres per hour for a few minutes along the town. The buses starting from Barpeta will stop at Marachaulkhowapar on the Howli Road for some time until the next bus arrives there. To the utter irritation of the commuters, it will move to Howli at a snail�s pace to stop there until the next bus comes. The buses starting from the Barpeta Road stop at Simlaguri and Howli. It is amusing to see that some passengers get off from their original bus and board the other one to save a few minutes. It is a common event all day long. Passengers coming one after another will board the bus which will move only when another bus reaches the spot. No passenger on the Barpeta Howli Barpeta Road route has to wait for a bus at Barpeta or Barpeta Road or at Simlaguri, Marachaulkhowapar or Howli. Nor is there a gathering of waiting passengers in these bus stops. Though a few passengers raise objections to the state of affairs, most of the regular commuters have got accustomed to the motion and taken it for granted.
It is a riddle for the common men why the bus operators do not understand the simple logic that if they move fast, the pasengers would wait for them and board on the arrival of the buses.This will save the valuable time of not only the passengers but the staff of the buses as well. Further, it will save fuel, leading to more profits for the owners of the buses. Further, it will reduce the air pollution level in these areas.
In addition to this, haphazard parking at Barpeta has been a problem for long. Commercial vehicles, including buses, are parked on the main road from the Veterinary office to the Rhino Club on the BB Road, creating a lot of trouble for the public. During the peak hours of the day, travelling along this area becomes a risky proposition. Though the people have raised objection to the haphazard parking time and again, the authorities concerned have not taken any effective steps to end the menace so far. The parking of light motor vehicles on the BKK Road has also created enormous problems. Vehicles operating from this stand often block the road, causing traffic congestion.
Most of the roads in Barpeta are single-lane narrow roads with little scope of widening them.What can mitigate the woes of the commuters is the planned traffic in both parking and moderate speed on the road. But it is a matter of regret that though the top brass of the administration, Transport department, police and the public representatives have been witnessing the unruly scenes year after years, no one has come forward to solve the problem in the greater interest of the public.
