Farm laws repeal: Commuters, motorists hope for relief now

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of repealing the farm laws has kindled hope among

commuters, motorists and commercial vehicle operators in Delhi for an end to their agony of taking detours during interstate travel to avoid the farmers' protest sites.

Vehicles bound for Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have to take an alternate route via the KMP Expressway due to the blockade at the Singhu border point. They are required to pass by Jharoda and Sapla to avoid the Tikri border, according to Shyam Lal Gola, the president of All India Luxury Bus Union.

Vehicles have to go via Vaishali — Noida sec 62 and from there through Pari Chowk to reach Ghazipur, he said. Hundreds of farmers have been camping at important stretches of Delhi's borders in Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur since November 2020, demanding the repeal of the three contentious farm laws. "If the border points are opened, hours of delay due to detours and passing through patchy single roads in villages and towns can be avoided. Also, there will be a big saving on fuel," Gola said.