Capital region change confusing for visitors

Vijayawada: Visitors to the state capital region and Vijayawada are finding it increasingly difficult to reach their destination these days.

While the rapidly changing facade of the city and the region is to be blamed, visitors say that the authorities can, and should, help them by installing signboards.

Over the past five years, the number of people visiting Vijayawada and the state capital region has increased manifold due to the administration moving here.

These visitors, even if they had visited the region earlier, find themselves disoriented due to the changes that the capital region has gone through almost overnight.

They complain about lack of signboards giving directions to reach the various government offices. More often than not, these visitors use public transport like RTC buses or auto rickshaws. While they may alight at the correct bus stop, they feel stranded after that as there are no signboards to guide them.  

Asking directions in a bus invariably invites stares of exasperation, as people are becoming increasingly impatient.

People unfamiliar with the topography of the city are facing problems locating government offices.

As most of the elderly are not adept at using their mobile phones to locate their destination, they face a lot of hardship. They even curse the RTC authorities for failing to train the conductors to deal with the passengers politely.

Travelling in an auto rickshaw has its own risks; drivers invariably fleece the passengers by deliberately misguiding them or forcing them either to pay more to take them to their destination.

Visitors are also vexed with the failure of the police and the transport authorities to regulate auto rickshaws in the city that flout all safety norms.

A majority of the auto rickshaws have no details of driver, vehicle number, driving licence and phone number of the driver or owner. Auto drivers use their audio systems to deafen everyone within earshot, even though such practice was banned long ago.

Retired government employee K. Aravind said, “I came here from Srikakulam to meet my daughter living in the city by train. I find no signboards prominently displaying directions to major centres. When I tried to hire an auto rickshaw, the driver demanded an outrageous amount. I managed to reach RTC city bus port and finally my destination.”