PRAYAGRAJ, May 21 -- In an effort to tackle chronic traffic congestion and regulate the growing number of e-rickshaws in the Sangam city, the traffic department has announced a month-long ban on their operation along several key routes from May 21. Under the restrictions, e-rickshaws will not be allowed on roads including the Rambagh flyover, Civil Lines Hanuman Mandir to Subhash Chowk, Laxmi Talkies cross- ing to Police Club, and Police Club to Anand Hospital in the densely populated Katra area. Restrictions will also apply to the district court-university road stretch and the route from the University to AN Jha Hostel, among other congested corridors. Officials said alternative routes have been prepared to manage traffic movement during the restriction period. E-rickshaws arriving from Teliyarganj via Civil Lines will be diverted from Civil Lines Hanuman Temple through Fire Brigade Crossing and Nawab Yusuf Road towards Civil Lines Railway Station and the High Court. The return route will remain the same. Similarly, e-rickshaws coming from Bairahana Sangam will be redirected via GT Road, Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, CMP College and Medical Crossing. From there, they will turn left at CAV College and pass in front of the DRM office to reach Civil Lines Railway Station and the High Court, using the same route for return. Traffic inspector Amit Kumar said the move aims to assess whether restricting e-rickshaws during peak hours can ease congestion in crowded areas such as Katra and Civil Lines, which house the collectorate, district court, high court, government offices, schools, hospitals and shopping areas. "If this step helps reduce congestion in key areas, the restrictions may be extended," he said. Officials added that unregulated movement of e-rickshaws has become a major cause of traffic snarls in busy stretches. Nearly 30,000 e-rickshaws currently operate across the city, significantly affecting traffic flow....