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The Kolkata Traffic Department has approved two new authorised autorickshaw routes to enhance last-mile connectivity and commuter mobility across key neighbourhoods, officials said in the past week. The new routes will link Babu Bazar with Mominpore and Rajabazar with Topsia, aiming to provide structured, regulated feeder services to supplement existing bus and metro corridors. The initiative comes amid rising travel demand in the dense central and eastern sectors of the city, where informal autorickshaw services have long operated without formal routes, contributing to congestion and safety concerns. Authorities indicated that the new links will be integrated into the city's traffic management plans, with designated stops, fare guidelines and operational oversight to ensure orderly services and improve commuter experience. The move underscores ongoing efforts by civic planners to improve urban mobility through regulated intermediate public transport in Kolkata's mixed-mode transport environment.
The Kolkata Traffic Department has sanctioned two new authorised autorickshaw routes in a bid to bolster urban mobility and structured feeder connectivity across densely populated sections of the city. The approval was issued in the past week and will establish designated autorickshaw links between Babu Bazar and Mominpore, and between Rajabazar and Topsia, respectively. The city's transport planners said the moves are part of broader efforts to integrate intermediate public transport modes with existing multimodal networks. Advertisement
Historically, autorickshaws have operated across Kolkata's inner and middle-ring corridors with informal or semi-organised routings, often contributing to traffic congestion and operational inefficiencies due to lack of structured oversight. By formalising these two new routes, the traffic department hopes to provide commuters with predictable, regulated travel options for short to medium-distance commuting needs that are not directly served by metro rail or bus networks.
The Babu Bazar-Mominpore route will connect the historic commercial quarter near the Hooghly River with the residential and institutional districts of south-central Kolkata. City officials noted that this link will serve employees, students and shoppers moving between these densely populated nodes, providing an alternative to private vehicle use and informal para-transit services that have traditionally clashed with traffic regulations.
Similarly, the Rajabazar-Topsia autorickshaw link will run through a key east-central corridor, traversing neighbourhoods where ridership demand remains high but formal public transport routes are limited. By anchoring designated stops and fare structures, the traffic department aims to improve commuter safety, reduce route disputes and streamline passenger pickups and drop-offs.
City planners emphasised that the autorickshaw sector remains an important element of Kolkata's transport ecosystem, particularly for serving first- and last-mile connections in areas where mass rapid transit or bus services are either absent or inadequate. The newly approved routes will feature official waypoints, timetable guidance and fare guidelines aligned with civic mobility objectives, and will be monitored by the traffic department to ensure compliance with safety and operational standards.
Authorities said the introduction of these authorised corridors will be followed by periodic reviews to assess route performance, ridership levels and integration with other transport modes, such as the metro rail system and city buses. Planners also noted that similar initiatives could be expanded to other parts of the city where structured intermediate transport services can enhance overall connectivity without exacerbating congestion.
The approval reflects Kolkata's wider urban transportation strategy, which seeks to balance regulatory oversight with demand-responsive mobility solutions that improve commuter experience, reduce travel times and promote safer, organised transport options within the city's complex roadway network.
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