Written by Sampurnaa Koner
The Eastern Metropolitan Bypass (EM Bypass), once hailed as the city’s greatest escape from congestion, is today caught in the grip of the very traffic it was meant to avoid. Built in the 1980s and operational since 1982, the 32-kilometre, six-to-eight-lane roadway was designed to connect Utladanga to Baruipur Puratan Bazar, while serving as a vital lifeline to Salt Lake and Newtown. But for thousands of daily commuters, students, and businesses, it has now turned into a corridor of gridlock.
The EM Bypass was envisioned as a key artery for connectivity, supporting hospitals, malls, and real estate hubs on its stretch. But ineffective traffic management, poor signal timing, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of regulation have transformed the highway into a bottleneck.
The ripple effect of traffic mismanagement is far-reaching. Longer waits translate into mounting fuel costs, increased logistics expenses, and declining productivity. What was once a symbol of growth has now become synonymous with wasted time, stalled opportunities, and higher business costs.
Transport workers are among the hardest hit. Buses and cabs lose trips daily, with drivers burning diesel in endless jams. Cab drivers also complain of ride cancellations and reduced earnings when app-based surge pricing discourages customers.
Commuters Struggle, Drivers Suffer
For app-based cab drivers like Khalif, the situation is dire: “During traffic jams, the prices rise through the apps, which discourages customers from booking rides. Meanwhile, drivers wait for 1-2 hours for a ride, and when rides begin to get cancelled, the app automatically reduces the number of rides available to us per hour.”
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Bus operators too expressed frustration. A Barasat-Garia route bus owner said, “Earlier our buses could make 4-5 full trips a day on the EM Bypass. Now, with these endless jams, we barely manage mostly three. Our earnings have gone down badly, and now even more worsening due to the new metro routes.”
Bus drivers echoed the same concern. Raju, a driver, lamented: “We are the ones paying the price for this mismanaged traffic. Every jam means more diesel, more stress, and less earning. We are losing one full trip daily, which is a huge cut in income. For a driver, one trip means food for the family. If this continues, our livelihoods will be finished.”
The daily battle is most evident in the stories of those who depend on the EM Bypass. A class 11 student from Janakalyan Siksha Mondir High School shared her ordeal: “My school is just 25-30 minutes from my home, but every day, I have to leave early because I never know when this 25-30-minute journey will turn into an hour-long wait.”
Sohan, a bank employee from Beliaghata, described the impact on working professionals: “The traffic jams are eating into our salaries indirectly. I reach office late, I leave late, and I spend extra on cabs when buses get too delayed. It feels like we are paying a hidden tax because of this chaos.”
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The Need for Urgent Solutions
Experts and commuters alike stress the urgent need for authorities to review and overhaul traffic management on the EM Bypass. Investments in smart infrastructure, synchronised signals, and promotion of alternate modes of transport are seen as crucial to restoring its original purpose—providing seamless connectivity and supporting economic growth.
As Kolkata continues to expand, the sustainability of its road networks will be vital. For the EM Bypass, once considered a lifeline, reforming traffic management is now essential to avoid it becoming a symbol of urban failure.
(Sampurnaa Koner is an intern with The Indian Express)
