New Delhi: Traffic came to a crawl in several parts of the capital on Tuesday as rain lashed the city and multiple restrictions remained in force in view of the India-EU summit, movement of VIPs, and related events. Visuals from different areas showed steady rain reducing visibility and slowing vehicular movement, with waterlogging reported in some stretches. Commuters, especially office-goers, said the combination of VIP-related curbs and rain significantly increased travel time during peak traffic hours. "Here we go again, Delhi. VIPs are allowed to move smoothly while there are traffic curbs for the rest of us. It's a tradition at this point. What do ordinary people do?" a commuter stuck in central Delhi traffic said.
Traffic congestion was reported from different parts of the city including Outer Ring Road, Delhi-Meerut Expressway towards Sarai Kale Khan, Ghazipur, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Bhikaji Cama Place, ITO, Rajghat, Janpath and surrounding areas. The Delhi Traffic Police had issued advisories announcing special arrangements due to the India-EU summit and a dinner for European Union (EU) delegates at Rashtrapati Bhavan later in the evening, along with visits by dignitaries to Rajghat. Several key roads in Lutyens' Delhi and central parts of the city were either restricted for parking and halting or subject to diversions. A commuter, who travels daily from Ghaziabad to Connaught Place for work, said his usual travel time almost doubled.
"I was rushing to work but met severe traffic jams on my way to Connaught Place. While it usually takes me around 35 minutes to get to my workplace, today it took me over an hour," he said. Police had advised people to avoid roads such as Janpath, Tolstoy Marg, Mathura Road, Bhairon Marg, Teen Murti Marg and Raisina Road, and to use alternative routes. They also urged commuters to keep buffer time, especially those heading to ISBTs, railway stations and airports, and to prefer public transport in view of the wet road conditions.