Guwahati’s Jalukbari area has transformed into a choke point of chaos
Imagine this: it’s a regular weekday morning, and you have an important meeting scheduled at your office. You live somewhere near Jalukbari and, determined to be punctual, you leave your home early. The clock ticks calmly, and you feel confident—until, out of nowhere, the road comes to a standstill. A long line of cars snakes ahead of you, green buses honk carelessly, trekkers jostle for space, and pedestrians dart across the road without heed. Your heart sinks. There’s no way out. By the time you reach your office, your boss is already fuming. “You’re late—again!” he yells, oblivious to your genuine struggle. But the truth is, this isn’t a one-off situation. For those who travel through Jalukbari daily, this is a lived nightmare.
Guwahati’s Jalukbari area has transformed into a choke point of chaos. Once a convenient route, it has now become a hotspot of congestion. The roads are riddled with undisciplined green buses that stop wherever they please, trekkers that seem to follow no rules at all, and pedestrians who walk as if traffic signals don’t exist. In the midst of this, car and bike users are left struggling, inching forward in frustration and fatigue.
For commuters, this is more than a nuisance—it’s a daily mental and physical strain. Monjit Saikia, a bank employee, shares his ordeal: “I stay at Gota Nagar and leave home early to beat the rush. But it’s hopeless. The green buses and trekkers dominate the roads. There’s zero traffic control. It’s a total mess.” His story resonates with hundreds of others who take the same route.
The root cause isn’t a singular issue. It’s a culmination of systemic failures. Green buses plying from Jalukbari towards Khanapara and other routes frequently halt under the overbridge without any designated stops. These unscheduled halts create bottlenecks, and with trekkers weaving in and out, the road becomes nearly impassable. To make matters worse, Guwahati Traffic Police often stops traffic from one side for extended periods, worsening the jam rather than easing it.
Local vendors and bystanders are witnesses to this chaos every single day. Manish Gupta, who runs a fast-food stall in the area, describes it plainly: “There’s always a jam. Accidents are frequent. The buses do whatever they want, trekkers have their own rules, and no one manages the traffic properly.” Even with the presence of a flyover, the situation has seen little to no improvement over the years.
Ankur, a university student commuting from Ganeshguri to Jalukbari, echoes the same sentiment. “It’s exhausting. Every day I spend nearly double the time I should on the road. It’s congested all the time, especially during peak hours. You start your day tired.”
This persistent chaos has left many disillusioned. The promise of better infrastructure and smoother traffic management by the state government seems to have fallen flat. For residents, the absence of effective implementation reflects a deeper problem—urban management that lacks urgency and vision.
Shopkeepers, commuters, and even drivers agree that designated stops for buses and trekkers could bring some order. “There is no proper system in place,” says Pritam Deka, a shop owner. “It’s a free-for-all. Traffic personnel try, but it’s beyond them. Fights happen. Accidents happen. And nothing changes.”
Even the bus operators feel helpless. Mukul, a green bus driver, says, “We have to gather passengers to survive. Buses are increasing, but passengers aren’t. If we drive without enough people, we lose money. What do we do?”
Alternate routes, like the one through Khanapara, are too long and time-consuming for most. Garchuk resident and city office worker shares, “There’s no better option. I come home exhausted—both mentally and physically. It takes a toll.”
From the traffic police's perspective, the challenge is immense. Rajen Boro, a traffic official, says, “We try our best. But buses and trekkers don’t cooperate. Vehicles pour in from all directions. It’s almost unmanageable.”
What Jalukbari faces is not just a traffic problem—it’s a symptom of poor urban planning, enforcement failure, and administrative apathy. While solutions have been suggested—dedicated bus stops, increased surveillance, better traffic management—little has materialised.
Until strong, actionable measures are taken, Jalukbari will remain a source of daily distress for thousands. The time for temporary patches is over. The people of Guwahati deserve smoother roads, safer commutes, and above all, a system that works.
