Saiful Islam Sumon, Cumilla Correspondent: Efforts by the Cumilla City Corporation to ease traffic congestion by clearing roadside hawkers have brought little relief to city dwellers, as illegal parking and indiscriminate passenger boarding by CNG-run auto-rickshaws, battery-powered three-wheelers and mishuks continue to disrupt traffic movement. Although many footpaths have been freed from hawkers, vehicles are frequently parked along roadsides and on footpaths, while some drivers stop their vehicles in the middle of busy roads to pick up and drop off passengers. The practice is creating fresh bottlenecks at several key points across the city. The situation has been observed at busy locations including Pubali Chattar in Kandirpar, Rajganj Road, in front of the Kandirpar Mosque, Tomchom Bridge, Rajganj, Ranir Bazar, Badsha Mia's Bazar, Chawk Bazar, Shashongachha and Paduar Bazar Bishwaroad. During a recent visit to the areas, this correspondent found CNG auto-rickshaws, battery-operated three-wheelers and mishuks parked beside roads and on footpaths at several points. In some places, drivers were seen stopping their vehicles in the middle of the road to allow passengers to get on and off. The problem becomes particularly severe at busy intersections and market areas, where several vehicles often stop together for passengers. As a result, a significant portion of the road becomes virtually unusable, slowing down private cars, motorcycles, public transport and other vehicles. Commuters, students, patients and pedestrians are among those suffering the most from the situation. At Tomchom Bridge, a driver was seen stopping his auto-rickshaw in the middle of the road to pick up passengers. Asked why he had stopped there instead of moving to the roadside, the driver replied, “There is no problem. There is space on that side, so vehicles can pass.” A passenger named Zahid said such practices were a major cause of traffic congestion. “Vehicles are stopped on the road to pick up and drop off passengers. This creates traffic jams and causes serious inconvenience to us,” he said. Zahirul Islam Chowdhury, secretary of Rotary Club of Cumilla Mid Town, said removing hawkers alone could not provide a permanent solution to the city's traffic problems. “Effective measures must also be taken to stop vehicles from being parked randomly on footpaths and roadsides and to prevent passengers from getting on and off vehicles wherever drivers wish,” he said. Cumilla City Corporation Executive Magistrate Nazia Hossain said authorities had already instructed CNG auto-rickshaw drivers to park their vehicles at designated locations. She said registration of battery-powered auto-rickshaws was also under way as part of efforts to regulate their movement. “The registration process will continue until August 31. Only auto-rickshaws covered by the registration process will be allowed to operate in the city. No unregistered auto-rickshaw will be allowed to run,” Nazia said. She added that city corporation drives against irregularities would continue and action would be taken against those violating the rules. For Cumilla residents, however, the challenge now is to ensure that the measures taken to clear footpaths are matched by effective enforcement on the roads. Without controlling illegal parking and stopping vehicles in the middle of busy streets, the city's traffic congestion is unlikely to ease significantly.