PRAYAGRAJ, May 1 -- Traffic congestion continues to cripple the city despite a series of marathon meetings and repeated assurances by the authorities, with congestion showing little sign of easing on the ground. In a fresh attempt to address the long-standing problem, district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma has directed Traffic officials to initiate concrete measures to check bottlenecks, after frameworks drawn up in several earlier meetings failed to translate into effective action. The task, however, remains a major challenge for the Traffic department as temporary encroachments, which resurface soon after being removed, and the unchecked, often unruly movement of commercial vehicles continue to choke major roads. Officials point out that nearly 30,000 e-rickshaws, apart from auto-rickshaws and other vehicles, are operating in the city, significantly contributing to congestion at most of the 256 identified traffic intersections throughout the year. Some of the major traffic intersections witnessing incessant traffic bottlenecks include Johnstonganj crossing, Baihrana, Katra, Alopibagh, Dhoomanganj, Medical College crossing, George Town, Teliyarganj, etc. Traffic Inspector Amit Kumar said the rapid increase in vehicles on the roads each year has far outpaced the available circulating space. He added that traffic bottlenecks have become a routine occurrence, particularly during school and office hours, when peak movement brings major stretches to a standstill. The large number of e-rickshaws has emerged as a key factor worsening the situation. ARTO (administration) Rajeev Chaturvedi said efforts are underway to work out a solution, including identifying specific routes for e-rickshaws....