Central Kolkata auto route becomes shorter and cheaper after pushback drive

KOLKATA: Removal of hawker encroachment from a prominent stretch in central Kolkata has not only revived a crucial link of one of the oldest auto-rickshaw routes in the area but has also reduced financial burden on commuters along with decongesting the alternative route the three-wheelers were forced to take for over a decade.
Total takeover of Canning Street had forced the auto-rickshaw drivers on the Burrabazar-Sealdah route to avoid the stretch and instead circumvent through a longer route of Brabourne Road-Tea Board-Poddar Court-Eden Hospital Road and College Street before turning right onto Surya Sen Street.

Not only did this diversion increase the distance and duration of the journey but also resulted in increased fare and congestion of the already busy Brabourne Road and New CIT Road.
The auto from the busy Burrabazar to Sealdah started in the mid-1990s and the route has close to 300 autos currently. By 2012 the encroachers had totally taken over even the carriageway on Canning Street forcing the auto drivers to take a diversion from Brabourne Road-New CIT Road route.
“It had become impossible to navigate through Canning Street and we started losing customers. Skirmishes between hawkers and auto drivers became frequent. We then decided to use the alternative route. It would take more time and distance and we also had to hike the fare but we could at least avoid Canning Street,” said Awdesh Singh, joint secretary of the Burrabazar-Sealdah Auto Drivers’ Union.
The union members have said that the fare has been reduced by Rs 5 but regular commuters on the route said they were paying the same fare as before.
“A lot of people use autos to transport goods. We charge them a little extra,” said an auto driver.
After the clean-up drive started, a meeting between the auto union and officials from the administration was convened. “We have assured drivers that the status quo will be maintained now and autos will be able to use Canning Street. Earlier movement of all vehicles had stopped due to encroachment. There were guard rails on both ends to stop vehicles from taking the route,” said a traffic sergeant.
A sergeant on Brabourne Road said it was becoming difficult to manage traffic on the busy road. “Autos would block Brabourne Road and halt in front of Tea Board creating snarls. Creating space on Canning Street has decongested this crucial thoroughfare to a large extent,” said the sergeant. Now, autos are stopping on Rabindra Sarani and Maulana Shaukat Ali Street for passengers.