NEW DELHI: Several roads across the national capital witnessed heavy traffic snarls on Friday as people stepped out in large numbers to visit markets and meet relatives to on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
The Delhi Police had already issued an advisory warning of increased pedestrian and vehicular movement on Thursday and Friday around Anand Vihar ISBT, Road No. 56, NH-9 and Vikas Marg. Police had advised commuters to avoid these stretches. Kalindi Kunj, Sarai Kale Khan and Dwarka were among the areas that saw the most traffic congestion.
A commuter from the southeast part of the city said he got stuck in traffic for nearly an hour while travelling from his home towards Ghaziabad. He said the congestion was particularly severe around Kalindi Kunj, where traffic jams have become a recurring problem.
“We left home for Ghaziabad and have been stuck in traffic for nearly an hour. The situation around Kalindi Kunj is particularly bad, and this has become almost routine.
Traffic jams have been happening here for years, but there seems to be little effort to find a permanent solution,” he rued, adding, “People generally do not vote on issues such as traffic and infrastructure, so perhaps these problems do not become a priority for governments either.”
Another commuter, who was travelling from Faridabad in Haryana to Mayur Vihar in Delhi to celebrate the festival with his family, said he was caught up in the congestion for nearly an hour.
“A road has already been constructed here, but it has not been opened for commuters, which is adding to the problem. It was expected that there would be heavy traffic today, as people have come out in large numbers to celebrate the festival, but the authorities should have made better arrangements to manage the rush,” he said.
Jahnavi Rathor, a resident of Lajpat Nagar, said, “I waited for the surge period to get over to get a cheaper fare. The fares have been hiked by cab aggregators, probably due to Raksha Bandhan.”
Police advisory flags routes with traffic congestion
The Delhi Police had already issued an advisory warning of increased pedestrian and vehicular movement on Thursday and Friday around Anand Vihar ISBT, Road No. 56, NH-9 and Vikas Marg. Police had advised commuters to avoid these stretches. Kalindi Kunj, Sarai Kale Khan and Dwarka were among the areas that saw the most traffic.
