Cites undue Traffic restrictions hampering Cargo Evacuation

The Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry federation (APCCIF) has asked the government authorities to urgently do away with the compartmentalisation of the movement of cargo vehicles which it says is severely affecting ease of doing business parameters and hampering the seamless flow of cargo movement.

With Visakhapatnam being home to two mega ports i.e. Visakhapatnam Port authority and Adani Gangavaram port cargo evacuation needs 24×7 plying of cargo vehicles for seamless flow of traffic.

In this regard the chamber had last year submitted a letter to the state’s Industry, Infrastructure, Investment and IT minister Mr Gudivada Amarnath calling for his immediate attention to this matter and for a speedy resolution.

‘We wish to bring to your notice that sudden restrictions on the movement of traffic are being imposed by the traffic police curtailing vehicular movement for almost 7 hours a day. This is tantamount to losing 12 productive hours and severely impacting the industry which depends upon timely arrival of cargo’ said the letter signed by its president Mr Pydah Krishna Prasad.

Following which a committee was constituted to look into this matter with the district collector as its convenor and to deliberate on this with the concerned stakeholders.

The chambers in a follow up letter dated 25th Jan 2023 addressed to both Minister and Special chief Secretary, Mr R Karikal Valaven, IAS claimed that although a small relaxation has been provided operations continue to be hampered.

Mr Sudhir Mulagada of AP chambers said that the imposed traffic congestion on heavy vehicles is leading to severe delay in cargo evacuation, congestion at ports thereby increasing logistics cost. If not resolved immediately, trade might flee to other neighbouring ports thereby causing economic loss to the city it was noted.

The chambers has therefore asked the concerned authorities to hold discussions at the earliest with the relevant stakeholders to work out a feasible solution and also requested for doing away with curtailment on movement of vehicles until such deliberations are held.

A representation of this letter was recently handed over by the AP chambers members to Mr Valaven.