PRAYAGRAJ, Aug. 18 -- Daily life in Sangam city is reeling under crippling traffic jams as a depleted traffic force and unchecked roadside encroachments continue to paralyse movement across major intersections. With less than half the sanctioned staff strength available to regulate 256 identified traffic congestions, long queues of stranded vehicles have become a routine ordeal for commuters.

Traffic police are failing to chalk out effective strategies to regulate vehicular flow before major choke points such as Johnstonganj, Baihrana, Kutchery Road, Noorullah Road, Meerapur, Sulemsarai, Ambedkar crossing near the High Court, Rajapur and Teliyarang. Despite these spots being repeatedly identified as the city's worst bottlenecks, no plann...