Delhi choke: Festive rush leads to traffic jams on Dhanteras eve

New Delhi, Oct 17 On the eve of Dhanteras, Diwali shoppers added to the festive rush and congestion on Delhi roads for the third successive day on Friday, even as Delhi Traffic Police deployed all its forces to manage the crawling vehicles around major markets and commercial areas.

Roads close to markets like Karol Bagh, Connaught Place, Laxmi Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Lajpat Nagar, Saket, Greater Kailash, Chandni Chowk, Model Town, Sarojini Nagar, Chanakyapuri, Teen Murti, Okhla, and South Extension witnessed heavy traffic, especially in the evening office rush hours.

Traffic lights proved ineffective as vehicles caught in jams failed to move, resulting in serpentine jams on major roads, including Ring Road and Outer Ring Road. Commuters spent hours covering distances of a few kilometres.

“Commuters heading for airports and railway stations are advised to leave homes early and plan their travel by keeping in mind the Diwali rush,” said a Delhi Traffic Police official.

The traffic police cautioned that the festive rush is likely to continue for another two to three days.

In north Delhi, GT Karnal Road, Azadpur, Wazirpur, Raj Niwas Marg, Ghanta Ghar Chowk and Roshanara Road witnessed long jams with frustrated motorists unable to move forward.

Roads leading to Delhi borders also saw traffic build up. NH-48 and Mahipalpur Road, carrying traffic from Delhi to Gurugram, were choked. Mathura Road, Kalindi Kunj, and Mayur Vihar remained choked for several hours.

Special Commissioner, Traffic, Ajay Chaudhary, in a reply to a media query, said that measures have been taken to manage the festive rush.

A senior official said that to decongest market areas, special efforts were being made to remove vehicles parked in unauthorised zones.

Traffic police advised people to use public transport like the Delhi Metro to avoid the rush on roads.

DCP, Traffic, New Delhi Range, Rajeev Kumar, said congestion was being witnessed on roads due to additional rush in markets and in areas close to bus terminus and railway stations.

Police Commissioner Satish Golcha directed district police chiefs not to put up pickets on busy roads at points that lead to jams.

Meanwhile, the traffic police issued a movement and parking advisory in view of the live music concert titled “Circus Maximus World Tour”, featuring the renowned Hollywood rapper/singer Travis Scott at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium on Saturday and Sunday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Apart from public parking facilities at Sewa Nagar Bus Depot and Sunehri Pulla Bus Depot, the traffic police said several roads leading to the stadium and Lodhi Colony will be closed for traffic.

"General public is advised to avoid B.P. Marg, Lodhi Road, and roads around JLN Stadium during the event hours. Motorists are requested to follow diversion signs and traffic police instructions to avoid inconvenience," said the advisory.

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