NEW DELHI: Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament on Monday led to a massive traffic disruption in central parts of the national capital, leaving the commuters stranded on the roads waiting for a longer period than usual.
With thousands of protesters gathering in the heart of the city and extensive security arrangements in place, vehicular movement slowed to a crawl. Long queues of vehicles were seen stretching across major roads as bumper-to-bumper traffic contributed to the rush. Commuters reported spending hours on the road, as diversions and road closures severely impacted vehicular movement across the capital.
The Delhi Police also issued a traffic advisory on Monday morning, stating that special traffic arrangements would be in place during the monsoon session of Parliament, which added to the woes of commuters. The advisory mentioned that heavy vehicular movement and traffic restrictions were expected in and around Parliament area, asking the commuters to plan their journey in advance.
Within Delhi, Ashoka Road, Parliament Street, Connaught Place, Raisina Road and Mandi House, were among the major stretches where the traffic was majorly halted and came to a standstill. The congestion also spilled over to the Outer Ring Road, particularly near the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, ITO and adjoining corridors. Many commuters reported heavy traffic outside All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
Nandini Sharma, a resident of Mayur Vihar, said that she tried several routes to reach her office. “Traffic was halted at ITO, so I first moved towards Rajghat and then made my way back to my office. The authorities could have allowed traffic movement on at least a part of the stretch to make commuting easier,” she said.
Commuters entering the capital from neighbouring states also reported long delays at various border points due to heightened security checks and diversions.
