Traffic Woes Worsen in Bhubaneswar Amid Vehicle Surge, Staff Crunch

Bhubaneswar: The capital city of Odisha is witnessing a worsening traffic crisis, with daily snarls caused by a combination of surging vehicle registrations, stagnant infrastructure development, and a severe shortage of traffic personnel.

Between 2020 and 2024, Bhubaneswar has seen an addition of nearly 6 lakh new vehicles, taking the total count to around 20 lakh—far exceeding the city’s road infrastructure capacity, which experts say is meant for only around 8 lakh vehicles. With vehicle numbers nearly doubling, the city’s roads are now routinely gridlocked.

Despite the exponential growth in traffic, there has been no significant expansion or upgrade in road infrastructure. Compounding the issue are beautification projects that have further narrowed key stretches like Janpath. Illegal roadside parking remains rampant due to a severe lack of designated spaces, even as multi-storey parking lots in Unit-2 and Sahid Nagar have failed to attract users.

Major routes such as Cuttack Road, Jagamara Road, and the Jaydev Vihar–Patia corridor are particularly affected, choked by unauthorized parking and unregulated auto-rickshaw stands.

Enforcement measures like towing and fines by the traffic police have shown limited success. The influx of heavy vehicles since 2020 has also intensified congestion.

Meanwhile, the city’s traffic policing capacity has failed to keep pace. There has been no sanctioning of new posts since 2020, and out of approximately 500 sanctioned positions, only around 400 are filled. The force is operating with nearly 100 vacancies, including about 20 officers.

The burden on the existing force is compounded by frequent VVIP visits and events, requiring additional deployment for security and traffic regulation.

In an attempt to bridge the manpower gap, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has deployed 100 traffic wardens through the transport department. Commissionerate Police has also called for 100 volunteer traffic assistants. Additionally, a plan is underway to engage around 100 college students to help manage traffic during peak hours.

A senior traffic official acknowledged the growing challenge but affirmed that efforts are being made to manage the situation with available resources while planning for further support.

The situation underscores the urgent need for integrated urban planning, better parking facilities, infrastructure upgrades, and enhanced manpower to prevent Bhubaneswar’s roads from grinding to a halt.