Roads choke as Delhi goes Diwali shopping

As it was the Diwali weekend and people went out for shopping and to exchange festive greeting with their near and dear ones, the commuters witnessed massive traffic snarls all across the national Capital.

However, heavy police deployment of traffic policemen could also be seen in all the major stretches to help ease the situation. Policemen were trying to help guide vehicles, but to no avail. People were stuck in huge jams, some for more than an hour.

According to a senior traffic police official, the increase in the volume of traffic led to massive traffic jams. Almost 60 per cent increase in traffic volume was seen on the roads on Sunday and the vehicles were not following lanes. “Also, people have parked their cars on the main road resulting in narrow lanes that in turn is causing slow traffic movement,” the official added. Keeping in mind the threat of a possible terror strike during Diwali, the national Capital was barricaded and the commuters had to face high security checking at major junctions. This also catalysed the traffic snarls in the city.

Approach roads to every major market place were choked with traffic. Those who drove to Sarojini Nagar, Karol Bagh, Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar, South Extension and Lajpat Nagar either had to turn back or stay stuck for hours. In all these places, traffic police seemed to have been caught off guard.

Traffic police have decided to turn market areas into no parking zones for the next seven days. “Any vehicle found parked near markets will be towed away or clamped since we cannot allow shoppers to block roads,” the official added. Massive traffic jams were reported from Kamla Nagar, Karol Bagh, Sarojini Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Vikas Marg, Ring Road from AIIMS to Ashram Chowk and Dwarka. Traffic was also said to be crawling from Chanakyapuri towards India Gate. “I am coming back from college. I have been stuck in the jam for a half an hour,” said a commuter. Jams, which were over half an hour long, were also reported from Akshardham in East Delhi. There were also kilometer-long traffic lines while coming from Gurgaon to Delhi.

Long jams were reported along the Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, Vikas Marg, Mathura Road, Aurobindo Road, Bhishma Pitamah Marg, NH-24 and ITO on Sunday. Senior traffic cops said traffic congestion will be tackled by additional deployment of personnel. “More than 15 lakh vehicles from the NCR enter the city during the festive season, adding to the usual 60-70 lakh that ply on the city roads daily, resulting in snarls,” said a traffic cop.