Koraput: In a bid to address traffic issues on NH-26, the Koraput district administration decided to impose fines on vehicles illegally parked along a 500-metre stretch of the highway, from the traffic junction to a private fuel filling station in Jeypore.
This area has been a hotspot for congestion due to buses picking up passengers and loading/unloading luggage. A taskforce meeting, chaired by sub-collector Sasya Reddy, was held in Jeypore to finalise the decision on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by stakeholders, including police officials, representatives from the municipality, and road transport office officials.
“It was decided to enforce the no-parking rule on NH-26 from the traffic junction to the fuel filling station starting Wednesday. All private bus owners’ associations, ticket agents, and other stakeholders present at the meeting agreed to the decision,” said SDPO (Jeypore) Ankit Verma.
A joint task force comprising officials from the police department, municipality, and road transport office will conduct raids to penalise violators.
The illegal parking of buses along NH-26 created significant traffic problems and public inconvenience, turning the stretch into an unofficial bus stand. There was consistent public demand for action to resolve the issue.
Officials said private bus owners were urged to utilise the private bus stand for picking up passengers and loading luggage.
“Additionally, plans are underway to allocate a designated bay for private buses at the newly inaugurated OSRTC bus stand in Jeypore for passenger boarding and other activities,” the SDPO said.
“Any issues at the private bus stand will be addressed promptly to ensure smooth operations,” added the SDPO.